


Beautiful Star (Or: Why Studying Equals Ramen)

by worldtravellingfly



Series: Fem!Harry [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Gender, Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anko is Awesome, Anko is too, Canon-Typical Villagers, Canon-Typical Violence, Dimension Travel, Drama, F/M, Fem!Harry, Female Harry, Female Harry Potter, Flashbacks, Gen, Harry is Hoshimi, Hoshimi is BAMF (in her own way), Hurt/Comfort, Kakashi Flirts, Kurenai is an Auntie, Language, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Not Epilogue-Compliant, Post-War (Harry Potter), Pre-Naruto Canon Era, Romance, Slow Burn, Weirdo Family Collection, Which Mysteriously Never Happen, World Travel, blind dates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-17
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-03-31 00:33:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3957769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/worldtravellingfly/pseuds/worldtravellingfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After an unfortunate incident with a compromised Portkey and some revenge-obsessed Death Munchers, a barely eighteen years old GWL must learn quickly to navigate the Elemental Countries, as well as to raise her baby godson, the only one who tagged along on her next great adventure. Heavily injured, starving herself to feed the little six-month-old and deathly afraid of the very real threat of death, Harry is ready to give up when an unexpected hand helped her out. Jiraiya - who only a few years prior suffered the loss of his most prized student - can't help himself when he finds the tiny girl trying to survive without a real understanding of the world around her. For her child. Somehow the Hokage thinks she's a perfect care-taker for her new neighbor, a five-year-old boy hated by nearly the whole village. Now what the hell did she get herself into this time?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Salt (How Harry Became Hoshimi)

**Author's Note:**

> Blanket Disclaimer for this fanfiction:  
> Nothing belongs to me, I don't profit from posting this (aside from practicing) and I don't claim any rights to anything portrayed in this story.
> 
> Warnings: AU, Fem!Harry, canon-typical violence and gore, mentions of torture, mentions of war, OOC-ness, mentions of starvation, Angst, language...
> 
> This is being cross-posted on my Fanfiction-account under the same name.

~1~

Harry could feel the cool, calculating eyes of the deceptively old man seated behind the large desk roam over her weakened body, cataloging everything they saw. His unfathomable brown, almost black, eyes seemed to X-Ray her soul, down to the last little corner of her mind. She wasn't quite sure what he expected to see or if he approved of what he found, but honestly, she was too drained to care at the moment. Nevertheless, the young witch tried not to fidget or faint from sheer exhaustion, to force herself to meet his penetrating gaze that reminded her entirely too much of another old man sitting behind a desk across from herself, not too log ago. Only the vaguely reassuring presence of the strangely kind white-haired man who had rescued both of them from certain death soothed her overly strained nerves from snapping. (By this stage, Harry was afraid of what would happen to her once she had another bout of accidental magic. At the moment, she was seemingly only held upright by sheer willpower and magic.)

Apparently satisfied with what he had found, the old man leaned back in his seat, deceptively wrinkled fingers playing absentmindedly with an unlit pipe. Subconsciously, Harry allowed herself to relax the fraction of a degree, loosening her white-knuckled grip on her sleeping godson. Hopefully they would not die today, at the hands of this dangerous, old ninja-leader.

"Well, child, what am I supposed to call you," the wizened male in heavy ceremonial garb asked in a polite tone, voice a bit gravelly from his age.

Harry quickly flashed through the stolen, scrambled memories of one of her now deceased early attackers, trying to piece together a vaguely correct sentence. She considered her options, but wanted to leave her old life behind. For good. This time, there wouldn't be a convenient train to return with. "I not know," Harry stuttered out helplessly, frustrated close to tears by her less than satisfying eloquence. She was reduced to a toodler-like state whenever she opened her mouth to speak.

The Hokage contemplated her dilemma for a short moment. "Tell me about your family, child," he demanded.

However, this simple order nearly had the tears spilling over. Harry could barely breathe, due to the white hot pain washing over her. "Dead. All dead, but-," here she gestured to the blissfully sleeping baby in her arms, "- Father name of old lords, mother flower. Other father-and-uncle star and dog. Aunt flower. No brother, no sister. Uncle cousins all crazy or bad. Or both. Only Ted and mother not the same." The gruesome memories of the war rose behind her eyes unbidden, getting stuck in the raw, dry throat and nearly choking her. Harry missed them like a torn-off limp.  
"Blood family dead. New family. War. Brother against brother. Lose new brother and much friends. Lose other uncle and aunt and uncle-father. Grandpa and senseis. Hurt. A lot. We win. High price. Now only Ted and me. All gone," she rambled on, on the verge of breaking down completely in the office of a foreign dictator who had been kind enough not to kill them instantly.

"Your village fought against itself?" The Hokage guessed slowly, focusing on her incoherent words.

Harry felt a tear escape involuntarily, running down her cheek. "Yes. Bad war. Lot of dead."

"Your mother's family had a tradition for flowers, and your uncle's to name their relatives after stars?" Sandaime-sama recalled perfectly. Apparently he had understood enough of her mad rambling to get the gist of it.

Harry nodded reluctantly. "Not want flower," she stated clearly. Too many bad memories were associated with her aunt for that. No, she did no wish for any kind of memento of her horrible childhood years.

"Hoshimi?" Jiraiya-sama suggested awkwardly from his perch on the window.

In response, Harry puckered her chapped pink lips thoughtfully. "What it mean?"

The Hokage smiled genially at the young woman. It did not fool her for a moment. "It means: 'beautiful star'. May I suggest Tadao for your son? It means noble man."

The nervous witch considered their suggestions carefully, for a long moment. Giving her godson any kind of different name felt like a betrayal to his parents, to their sacrifice. On the other hand, she really wanted to protect him to the best of her abilities. Hesitatingly, the young civilian nodded. "Yes. Short Tedi. What else?"

At this, the two males exchanged a fast glance over her slightly bowed head. "Your last name, little hime," Jiraiya said almost apologetically.

"Aota should work. It means 'green rice paddy'," the Hokage offered kindly to the traumatized girl clutching a baby like a lifeline. Maybe it was a good thing he had kept Naruto away from Kakashi after the Kyuubi attack.

Harry just nodded when it appeared that they wanted a response of some kind. She didn't really care anymore. For a safe haven for Teddy, she would sign away her soul. Giving up the last shreds tying her to her family felt strangely disconcerting, yet at the same time also freeing. No longer did anyone expect her to be some sort of heroine, ready to save their day, or a talented, experienced fighter, or some sort of prodigy.  
After this meeting, Harry could become whomever she wanted. Suddenly, she could feel a ginormous boulder fall from her shoulders. No longer did she have to impersonate some sort of community-wide heroine/princess! This time around Harry could be herself. Just Harry. Or Hoshi-chan, as the case may be.  
For the first time since entering this confusing, unforgiving world, one of her rare, genuine smiles lit up the young witch's face, instantly erasing the bone-deep exhaustion and sharp angles from her self-imposed starvation.

In that brief moment, the Hokage and Jiraiya caught their first glance of the beautiful soul contained beneath her skin. They liked what they found.

"So what's the cover story?" Jiraiya-sama wondered, arms crossed casually over his chest.

Sandaime-sama stroked his goatee as he considered - and discarded - various scenarios. "Aota Hoshimi and Tadao are the only living descendants of one of your informants. They were chased out of her original village due to the activities of their grandfather," the Hokage finally decided. "Afterward they traveled for a long time until you coincidentally found and recognized them. Then you obviously convinced her to stay here, to ensure their continued safety." Jiraiya-sama nodded to show he understood his orders.  
Therefore the old man turned to the young woman standing in front of him, protectively clutching a baby not her own, with more (an impressive amount of) willpower than physical strength. "Until your vocabulary expands, I suggest you pretend to be mute, Hoshi-chan. I will arrange for remedial classes in reading and writing with a suitable tutor for an hour each day. No one will find the need for them strange, especially if we say you were born in a rural region."

In turn, Ha- Hoshimi nodded confusedly. "But what you want for help?" Jiraiya-sama snorted quietly, but seemed to approve of her seemingly impudent question.

The Hokage smiled genially at her. Again. It didn't fool the witch for a second. Again. "Recently one of my grandsons has decided he was old enough to live on his own. In return for helping you and your nephew, I would like to offer you a job as a housekeeper for him. Coincidentally, the apartment next to his is still free, so you would be in a perfect position for your new job," Sandaime-sama explained happily.

Ha- Hoshimi didn't believe in coincidences, but also refrained from voicing her suspicions. Instead she frowned. "Where find book for cook? I not know much. Make do lots."

Jiraiya-sama chuckled at her enthusiastic concerns. "I don't think he would mind, Hoshi-chan. He hasn't ever had a homemade meal."

Again the young civilian frowned, anger flashing through her eyes for a brief moment, a mere second perhaps. Then she nodded resolutely. "I learn," she decided determinedly, straightening up quite a bit with the new-found resolve. No child should ever suffer from such neglect, not on her watch.

The Hokage smiled. "Very well. One of my trusted Chūnin will approach you for lessons tomorrow, Hoshimi-chan. Jiraiya will show you to your new apartment and buy the necessities for you. Is there anything specific you would like?"

The newly-named Hoshimi considered it for a moment, running through everything she needed for her godson. "A toy for Tedi. Bed for him. Bottle and food for baby. Clothes too. I not need much," she offered quietly, embarrassed to have to accept another person's money, after being financially independent for so long.

Jiraiya-sama clapped her shoulder lightly in commiseration or comfort, she was not sure. "Don't worry. The Hokage will pay for it. He has the money to spare."

This information didn't particularly help to relieve her tension and unease with the current situation, but she refused to complain because they needed the kindness of the old man to survive. Then the Hokage dismissed the unlikely trio, thoughtfully watching them leave through the door. For once.


	2. Shrimp (or: How Hoshimi met Naruto)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoshimi furnishes her apartment with Jiraiya's help. Naruto and her meet on her first day at work. There are also cockroaches and ANBU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.
> 
> (Unbetaed)

~2~

Jiraiya-sama steered the exhausted witch towards a food vendor, perhaps worrying about her capability to continue on if she wouldn't get some sort of nutrients into her system. It turned out to be a ramen shop, complete with the bar and stools. Hoshimi gently secured her sleeping 'nephew' and curiously cataloged every single person in their vicinity. Most of which were staring at her and the sleeping baby half-hidden in her arms. A brown-haired man wearing a cooking outfit asked for their orders. Jiraiya-sama replied something, too fast for Hoshimi to follow. However, the other male nodded. The rest of the staring masses quickly returned to their own meals.

"This is probably the best food for you, for now," the white-haired male explained softly enough so the words didn't carry too far. "I told Teuchi to hold back on the toppings." Hoshimi nodded her understanding.

Fascinated by the process, she watched as the ramen cook prepared their bowls in what seemed like no time at all. Curious, she poked her noodles with a chopstick before copying Jiraiya-sama and clapping her hands together for a quick prayer. Then Hoshimi self-consciously began to eat her small (her bowl was only filled to half-capacity) portion, slowly working herself through the noodles, enjoying the broth. She felt ready to burst as soon as the last drop had made it into her mouth. The soup warmed her cool body from the inside, down to her bare feet.

Shortly after finishing her meal, Jiraiya-sama paid Teuchi-san and located a store for baby gear. He allowed her to roam, so the witch picked out several outfits for her godson, things that would be able to grow with him. Then a saleslady approached them, probably offering her assistance. Jiraiya-sama told her something that had the older woman look pityingly towards the younger one, but she readily helped out.

In the end, Hoshimi chose a soft brown wolf plushy for her godson to cuddle with. They had a bed for Tadao, a changing table which also could be used as a closet, and enough cloth diapers to last for a month. At least.

Their next stop turned out to be a clothing store for secondhand stuff. Jiraiya-sama asked to hold Tedi, so she could shop unhindered. Tedi just continued to sleep in the awkward hold of the older shinobi. The white-haired male told her to buy enough clothes to last her a week, as well as a kimono for more formal occasions. In the end, the store owner helped to find fitting secondhand yukata that wouldn't impede her mobility so she could still run after trouble-making children. The old woman gushed about her green eyes and thick black hair, praising her beauty seemingly endlessly.

Eventually, Hoshimi settled on a selection of a leaf green, two blue, and a light-red yukata, and a more formal, dark-green kimono. The old lady threw in a wooden hair ornament that reminded the teen of chopsticks for free and told her to come back anytime. Tadao woke, so Jiraiya-sama offered to finish their shopping trip on his own, supposedly so she could feed him in peace. Reluctantly, Hoshimi accepted the thoughtful suggestion.

In an instant, the older male had transported them to an apartment complex. It seemed slightly rundown, but Grimmauld Place had been much worse, especially in the beginning. As soon as they stepped through the door of her new apartment, Hoshimi quickly prepared a bottle for her nephew, efficiently sating his hungry belly. After carefully burping him, she placed him on a soft nest of clothes, so he could nap or play while she would fix up his new bed. Tadao adorably sneezed several times from the lingering dust, but babbled contently to her during the time she worked. Hoshimi smiled at her godson, enjoying his carefree-baby-air.

~*~

An hour or so later, Jiraiya-sama returned, helping her furnish the small apartment. The old rice paper-doors could be used to separate the sleeping niche from the rest of the open kitchen/living room area. To her relief, she owned a functional if hopelessly old-fashioned fridge, a working stove, oven and a low table with traditional oriental cushions for visitors. There were enough plates for four people, chopsticks and the available kitchen gear clearly wasn't new, but functioned well enough.

Jiraiya-sama had also brought her scrolls and writing utensils, so she could practice for her lessons. "You will receive 300 ryo per month for taking care of Naruto, your neighbor. Your rent is about 150 ryo, so be careful how you spent the rest of the money. A large bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's costs about ten ryo," the male explained helpfully.

Hoshimi nodded, showing she actually listened attentively. "Tax?"

"30 ryo per month, because you, a civilian, have a small child, a low-paying job and, at the moment, no other income. Sensei filed your paperwork already. In a year, you will have to update your information yourself at the bank. Especially if you should get another job on the side."

"What expect?" Hoshimi asked, still a bit dazed.

Jiraiya smiled reassuringly at her. "We expect you to provide lunch and dinner for him starting tomorrow. It would probably not go amiss if you could prepare a healthy breakfast for the next morning as well. The Sandaime will cover the costs for any groceries from Naruto's stipend. Once a week, you are expected to clean his apartment and generally help him adjust to living alone. If Naruto agrees, you may bring your nephew along," the older man explained patiently.

Hoshimi nodded again, smiling. "I clean good. Thank you."

In response Jiraiya-sama only grinned flirtatiously, or what he seemed to perceive as such, leaving via window.

"Ninja," the ravenette sighed exasperatedly.

~*~

The following morning, Hoshimi dressed in her most comfortable, blue yukata, pulled her hair in a loose bun with the help of those wooden chopsticks and efficiently prepared breakfast for Tadao and herself. She smiled at her godson, deciding to bring him along for their introduction. Maybe this Naruto liked to have a small child to play with, while she assessed the damage a little boy could do to an apartment living on his own?

After a quick meal, the young civilian gathered her Gryffindor courage and knocked at the door next to her own. A small blonde child with lost eyes stared up at her. Hoshimi smiled warmly at the little boy, waving a greeting. He seemed quite confused but waved back curiously.

"Aota Hoshimi and Tadao," she introduced herself happily to her new, clearly out-of-his-depth neighbor.

He rallied relatively soon though, replying with an uncertain: "Uzumaki Naruto?"

She gestured questioningly towards his apartment. Blushing in embarrassment, the boy allowed them entry. "I'm new neighbor," she told him cheerfully. "This my nephew. I call Tedi for short. Hokage gave me job to cook and clean for you. Lunch and dinner. Maybe breakfast too. Okay?"

Naruto obviously thought she was either mentally retarded or insane if not both. "Why?"

"No child live alone. Not good. I help. Okay?" Hoshimi resolutely told the mistrusting little blonde.

He considered her incoherent reply, but slowly relaxed again. "You don't hate me?"

Hoshimi's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why hate you? I not understand. You just little boy. Like Tadao."

This time he deadpanned. "I'm not a baby!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, evoking a startled cry from the previously sleeping baby.

Hoshimi sighed inwardly. "Not shout. Please? Hurt ear." Her new charge nodded apologetically. In return, the witch gently ruffled his hair, inwardly noting the way he initially flinched at the contact.

After soothing the crying baby, she offered Naruto a chance to hold Tadao who seemed utterly fascinated by his bright hair. (Hoshimi didn't doubt that her 'nephew' had copied the look, hidden under his little hat.) Cautiously, the young boy accepted her godson, holding him with all the awkwardness and seriousness of a young child.

"I look, okay? Play with Tedi-chan, please?" Hoshimi stated resolutely. Naruto meekly nodded, still a little embarrassed by the rather desolate state of his apartment.

Hoshimi surveyed the room. Everywhere, plastic cups littered the available surfaces. Old, discarded clothes were strewn all over the floor. An unattractive (read: disgusting) smell lingered in the air and he didn't have any doors, rice paper or otherwise, to keep his privacy. In other words: she had her work cut out for her. After a quick look in the fridge, which revealed a stinking, moldy mess she was afraid to even think about, much less touch, Hoshimi corrected her initial assessment. It would take her weeks to clean this by hand.

Sighing inwardly, she asked Naruto again to play with Tadao, this time in her apartment, explaining that there were leftovers in the fridge if he got hungry. Her baby nephew could have some of the prepared mashed fruits she had put in a small cup this morning. Naruto promised - quite loudly - to keep him safe and fed until she told him to return. ("I'm gonna be Hokage, believe it!")

Thus began the unbelievably strong, brotherly bond between those two boys. Unintentionally evoked by an overwhelmed teen witch.

~*~

Meanwhile, Hoshimi rolled up her sleeves, re-fastening the hair chopsticks, and slipped into some plastic gloves which the witch had found in one of the untouched upper cupboards. She carefully collected the trash from all over the small apartment, which amounted to at least three large rubbish bags full of what appeared to be only instant ramen cups. A quick survey later revealed, Naruto didn't have anything else in his kitchen cupboards. Sighing in amused exasperation, Hoshimi went back to work.

After saving a pile of dirty laundry in one corner of the bedroom area, she changed his sheets and nearly jumped a foot in the air when she was suddenly confronted with a colony of cockroaches rushing out from under the bed. In response to her reaction, a dog-masked ANBU appeared by her side in an instant. Seeing the massive amount of insects, the highly-ranking shinobi just sighed, shoulders slumping slightly, nearly unnoticeably.  
A moment later, the ninja returned, this time with a bespectacled male who wore a very concealing jacket. Taking one look at the colony of cockroaches, the second male muttered something incomprehensible under his breath before flicking his fingers in a complicated pattern. A swarm of uncountable cockroaches surrounded them. The thousands of feet crawling over her skin reminded Hoshimi of a curse designed to torture someone into insanity. It was slow-acting, usually, but Bellatrix Lestrange had had a talent for such magicks.  
Caught in a full-blown flashback of her days as a captive in the Malfoy dungeons, Hoshimi didn't notice when the dog-masked ANBU quickly transported her away from the apartment complex into the nearby woods. The peaceful chirping of birds finally managed to snap her out of it, but the damage was already done. Hoshimi turned, bile rising rapidly in her throat, and vomited into the bushes next to her. With shaking hands, she wiped her mouth clean, disgusted with what she perceived as a weakness. Cockroaches or insects usually didn't disturb her equilibrium, but today that feeling... It had gotten to her in totally unexpected ways.

"Are you okay?" Dog asked politely. Calming herself, the witch slowly got back to her feet. Then she nodded, ashamed of her overreaction. "It's okay. We were briefed on your life prior to Konoha," the ANBU told her, evidently trying to reassure the weak civilian.

Hoshimi smiled shakily, but indicated she wished to continue her job. The shinobi nodded, perhaps sensing that she wouldn't tell him why she had freaked out and would rather work the experience off.

In the meantime, the other, shrouded male had vanished to places unknown. There was a note on the table though, waiting to be read. Before the ANBU could disappear again, Hoshimi showed him the small message. "It says that the Aburame Clan was happy to assist and thanks you for the live food you provided for their carnivorous specimen," he explained patiently.

Grateful, the teen nodded, collecting her wits again. She bowed to the shinobi and then got back to work.

~*~

Three hours later, the apartment could be considered somewhat approaching a clean, hygienic state. There was a small mountain of laundry waiting for a thorough wash, the trash bags were positioned near the door for transport, and the kitchen and bathroom actually seemed sanitary.  
Hoshimi had cleaned the fridge with a lot of covertly applied wandless magic which left her completely exhausted, on top of the physical labor she had gone through. Not to mention her unfortunate reaction to the swarm of cockroaches...

With a last sigh, Hoshimi knocked on her own apartment door, warning Naruto so he would not be spooked, before entering. Tadao and his blonde playmate were lying on a blanket on the floor, cuddled close to each other, and slept tightly. Smiling softly, Hoshimi tiptoed into her bathroom, refreshing herself. Then she checked her fridge for food, considering what she should prepare for dinner.

Not long after a delicious smell of cooking rice and a wok full of vegetables and thin strips of meat wafted through her small apartment, the boys woke from their nap. Naruto sleepily rubbed his eyes as he observed her work.

"Have fun?" Hoshimi teased him a little, smiling warmly at the little boy. She had gathered that he didn't receive too many of those usually, so the witch decided to give him one as often as possible. It was important to feel wanted, especially for children who were still developing their personalities. Despite everything, this world didn't deserve to suffer another Tom Riddle. Naruto nodded in acknowledgment, concealing a yawn with one hand.

"Good boy," the tired civilian praised, ruffling his hair again. It was very soft, like Tadao's. "Wash hands, please. Dinner ready soon."

A few minutes later, Hoshimi served a healthy meal consisting of wok vegetables and some beef with plain rice on the side. It was designed to fill the belly up and keep it sated for longer.

Naruto suspiciously eyed her when she didn't enthusiastically devour everything in sight. "Why aren't you eating?"

A sad, regretful expression crossed over her face as she considered her reply. "I not eat for long time. Hungry a lot. Not enough money for food for two. So I give food to Tedi."

"You can't eat more because you went hungry for a long time?" The small blonde guessed horrified, rubbing his own stomach sympathetically.

Hoshimi smiled at his quick reply. Apparently he had a good head on his shoulders and a golden heart in his chest, despite the previously unhygienic state of his apartment. "Yes. I eat too much, it be back."

This time the small blonde grimaced in disgust. "But it's good food! You're a great cook, Hoshimi-nee-chan!"

In response, the teen messed up his hair even further, much to his mock-irritation. Then she proceeded to dish up some more food, especially vegetables, for her new charge. Afterward, she fed Teddy some mashed carrots, patiently enduring his squirming away from the soft food.

"Why do I have to eat those! They're yucky!" Naruto protested vehemently.

Hoshimi giggled, amused by his innocent, childish antics. "Good for you. You get strong, big. Eat!"

After hearing the word 'strong' pass her lips, the blonde boy almost devoured the greens on his plate in no time at all. This time she couldn't quite keep her amusement hidden, her giggles growing in volume to actual laughter. A moment later, probably assuring himself she was not laughing maliciously about him, Naruto joined in, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Even Tedi clapped his tiny, chubby baby hands happily.  
Hoshimi deemed their first meeting a raging success (minus her small panic-attack) and knew she would learn to love the little blonde boy like her godson/nephew in no time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> W


	3. Curry (or: How Hoshimi Met Anko)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoshimi establishes a routine. Anko gets her first on-screen appearance. Naruto bonds with Tadao. Villagers react.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. Nothing belongs to me.
> 
> (Still unbetaed!)
> 
> STOP! If you haven't read chapter 2 (which I also posted today), please do so before proceeding with chapter 3!

~3~

After dinner, Naruto went back to his apartment, ready to explore Hoshimi's work, no doubt. Maybe even determine if she had accidentally thrown out his few prized possessions, judging by the still persisting mistrust with which he regarded her out of the corners of his eyes when the blonde thought she would not notice. However, this sentiment seemed to have lessened over the course of the late morning and early afternoon.

It was around seven, Tadao's bedtime, when a polite knock sounded at her door. With a small sigh, Hoshimi kissed her nephew's brow before greeting her guest. Undoubtedly it would be her Hokage-assigned tutor. (Not that she complained. Reading used to be her one outlet in elementary school, before Quidditch and Hogwarts, so that she sorely felt the absence of this particular ability now. Especially in business deals, like at the market, or yesterday at the various shops.)

Nevertheless, the young woman opened the door, having a polite smile fixed on her face, because these people did not deserve to be the target of her ire. They were not at fault for the situation at hand, so she would keep her temper to herself.

"Aota-san?" A surprisingly old lady wanted to confirm. The woman wore a blue yukata, a matching headband (in bandana form), tied around her neck like a scarf, and open-toed blue sandals. Her hair was already beginning to lose its vibrancy, graying progressively. Originally, it was a rather fascinating shade of midnight-blue. Wrinkles decorated her face, mainly worry and laugh lines. The woman's light-brown eyes shone calculatingly from behind a pair of round, wire glasses. Her mouth, though, was pursed slightly.

Hoshimi invited her inside her home with a bow, silently offering tea and some fruit for refreshments. The old kunoichi accepted the offer for tea, but waved off the fruit, so the temporarily mute witch grabbed a second cup from her rickety cupboard.

"I am Tsubasa Suzume, a retired Chūnin of Konohagakure no Sato. The Hokage informed me that due to traumatic events you are currently unable to speak and require tutoring in reading and writing our beautiful language. My lessons will be paid by the Hokage as compensation for the troubles you endured to aid us in these trying times," the old lady informed her new pupil pompously.

Hoshimi disliked the self-important tone, but overall, she could probably learn to live with the snobbish woman. So she nodded, ready to get started. The retired Chūnin began to explain that there were three different alphabets in the written language, Hiragana, Katakana, and then Kanji. They would begin with Hiragana, as that was generally deemed the easiest to learn first. Tsubasa-sensei forced Hoshimi to memorize each sound before painstakingly copying it to the best of her abilities (with a pencil, thankfully) into her notebook. They learned for an hour, going through all 46 characters. As homework, the young witch was supposed to memorize the first twelve symbols for the next lesson. Although her sensei expected her to continue practicing the rest of the alphabet as well, to progress more quickly.

Neither woman wasted words on things not related to the topic at hand, although Hoshimi painstakingly continued her charade by saying nothing at all. She didn't want to cause problems for the Hokage on her first full day here.

As it so happened, Tsubasa-sensei was quite strict, but a patient teacher. She repeated the motions as many times as necessary for the younger woman to understand and copy correctly. They left on polite, yet neutral terms.

Hoshimi did not expect there to ever develop a tentative friendship between the other woman and herself. And, perhaps surprisingly, she was quite alright with that.

~*~

Over the following weeks, this process repeated itself daily, except for the weekends. Monday through Saturday, Hoshimi prepared meals for her blonde neighbor, cleaned his apartment of any messes and allowed him to play with Tadao or help around the kitchen, while she explained how to cook in her broken Japanese.

Naruto was eager to learn how to make his own ramen, but she had cautioned him, telling the small boy to learn the basics first. Otherwise he might ruin his precious ramen, what unimaginable horror! Besides, she would rather not have to explain to the Hokage why he was in the hospital for cutting a finger off or something.

Hoshimi had said it all with a teasing, uncaring air, as if she was completely unaffected by such a thing, but Naruto had learned by then to differentiate between those two things and laughed with her for trying to jovially poke fun at his hyper-enthusiasm.

Tadao had figured out how to crawl by this point, challenging his self-proclaimed big brother and aunt with continuous escape attempts from his crib or playing area. However, because Hoshimi still fretted about not knowing the language well enough to communicate in the written form and had basically no clue what was generally considered alright and what not, she kept him inside for the most part. Except when they walked to the market place for groceries.

By then, the majority of the village knew this particular civilian was an outsider, had some unknown ties to Jiraiya-sama, and could not (or would not) speak to anyone. Her perceived handicap kept most of the admirers in check that had followed her around the first few times Hoshimi had gone shopping, for which she was profoundly grateful.

The young woman was in no position, emotional or otherwise, to open her heart for romance. Especially to the civilian men around her age who seemed awfully immature to and condescending towards the witch. The rest of Hoshimi's admirers left her alone after witnessing her carrying around Tadao in a blue sling.

Following that event, whispers regarding her person and integrity grew in volume and viciousness. Many jealous girls exchanged hurtful rumors of her supposed 'relations', why Jiraiya-sama had taken her under his wing, and where exactly she was working. These malicious rumors not only tarnished her previously stellar reputation, but also isolated Hoshimi even further in the community than before.

At least in regards to the civilian population. The shinobi side could care less about one civilian girl who may or may not have helped out Konoha's spymaster once or twice.

Regardless of this, Hoshimi continued to hold her head high, letting the insults and jeers following her person pearl off of her clothing, and just smiled at her baby nephew, describing a bird flying overhead or a pretty flower they encountered on the way. Sometimes, in the privacy of her mind, she thought her experiences with getting shunned at Hogwarts and Privet Drive were designed to prepare her for the increasingly malicious words of jealous village-girls.

But the young woman refused to be broken by these rumors. Especially ones started by inconsiderate people she had no connection with or concern for.

~*~

Her studies with Tsubasa-sensei progressed nicely. Hiragana was memorized quickly, followed by Katakana which Hoshimi learned within a week. The young witch had glued both of the scrolls containing the two alphabets in her own ("passable") handwriting on the cupboards above her sink, where she was sure to see them each time she washed the dishes. (A tactic which proved beneficial to Naruto as well, helping him learn to read much better by providing a visual aid.)

Tsubasa-sensei forced her student to practice writing (and speaking) both alphabets endlessly in her free time, while teaching her the first Kanji. Hoshimi drew an awkward little picture depicting the meaning of the sign next to the written word, hoping to memorize them better that way, of which Hermione no doubt would have been proud.

Their grammar lessons, however, were awfully dull and boring. Also complicated. Nevertheless, the teen persevered, already noticing how much her understanding of the language had improved by chatting with Naruto more and more easily and fluently.

Tadao was beginning to pick up the language too, as displayed in occasional babbles that came quite close to resembling the correctly-enunciated words. Hoshimi always read her two boys a bedtime story, to train herself and provide a nice finishing touch to the evening.  
Despite not going to bed directly afterward, unlike Tadao, Naruto loved to listen to her slow, stumbling voice when his loving care-taker read those childish stories. He could sense that they were not just for Tadao's or Hoshimi's benefit, but for his own too. Somehow, the young civilian woman raising her orphaned nephew had wormed her way into his heart, genuinely affectionate, and never afraid to touch him. A humbling experience for the six-year-old who had been treated very differently by the workers in the orphanage where he had stayed all his short life, before moving out.

So, Naruto secretly taught Tadao to call Hoshimi 'kaa-chan' (mom) instead of 'obasan' (aunt), convinced that she would love it.

In the meantime, Hoshimi herself adopted the small (sometimes astonishingly oblivious) blonde into her makeshift family. He was a little exasperating, loud and purposely played dumb at times, but she usually just told him to calm down for a little bit. Then the witch gave him a hug, a piece of sugar-coated fruit (her replacement for lemon drops), and told him to play with Tadao, 'because he had missed his big brother today'.

~*~

Of course the warm tone to her interaction with Naruto had been discovered soon after Hoshimi bundled all three of them up one Sunday, to go to the park and play for a little while. On the way there, the villagers glared heatedly at her young blonde charge or purposefully ignored his very presence, sending her questioning, disgusted, or pitying looks. The raven-haired civilian just ignored their malicious remarks, holding onto Naruto's hand to led him lead her better, as well as provide morale support to the young boy. At the time, Tadao was sleeping peacefully, blissfully unaware of the goings-on around his small family.

They arrived at a small playground only ten minutes after leaving their apartment complex, to a massive exodus, once the trio had been identified by the other mothers. Only a few of the previously gossiping women stayed, either to scrutinize the deceptively headstrong young girl who was taking care of a small toddler and the Container, or because they ignored their very presence and refused to leave on principle alone. Most of them warned their children to stay away from Naruto as soon as they could, though.

Hoshimi just rolled her eyes at their ignorant behavior, ruffling the small blonde's hair gently in an effort to reassure him. Then she placed a small checkered blanket on the ground which she had painstakingly knitted herself for this occasion, placing a curious little toddler on it. Unbidden, Naruto began to play with the tiny chubby baby boy, tickling him, followed by a self-invented "ninja-version" of 'peak-a-boo'.

Trusting Naruto to keep an eye on her nephew, at least for a moment or two, the young woman allowed herself to close her eyes, enjoying the rays of sunshine warming her face. Due to somewhat regular, more nutritious meals, her body had slowly began to fill out again, regaining a hint of the curves she had lost to weeks if not months of self-starvation. (Hoshimi had lost track of the time she spent in this world until Jiraiya had reached out to her on a whim.) Her muscles had slowly returned as well, mainly due to lifting an increasingly heavier Tadao or chasing Naruto around her living room area. Besides, she was working rather hard on making a home out of the nearly empty, dilapidated apartment complex they lived in.

Her thoughts turned to the Academy next, which was scheduled to begin the following day. This was their last time together as a makeshift family before that event, and Hoshimi wanted to enjoy it to the fullest, despite the obstacles placed in the way of that resolution. Besides, the sun was shining brightly and the seemingly ever-present humidity was, for once, tolerable. Why shouldn't they enjoy this day just like everyone else in the village?

When someone seated themselves next to her on the otherwise abandoned bench, Hoshimi reluctantly opened her eyes. It was a young woman, around her age if not a little older, sporting purple hair and a tan trench-coat and not much else, clothing-wise. "Mitarashi Anko, at your service," the kunoichi introduced herself roughly.

Meanwhile the witch was almost certain the other woman had already studied her thoroughly long before sitting down. Hoshimi smiled genuinely, yet still only politely, at the other female, offering a bow in response.

"You are doing a good thing for the blonde gaki, you know," the purple-haired kunoichi mused aloud, sounding oddly respectful for a kunoichi speaking to a civilian. "Don't let them get you down, Aota-san. Words from those jealous bitches aren't worth the air they breathe."

Amused, the witch nodded seriously, warming up a little to the blunt woman. Then she winked at Mitarashi-san, offering her a sugar-coated fruit from a conveniently small container hidden in a paper-bag stowed in her pocket. (Where little fingers wouldn't manage to sneak them unsupervised.) Curious, the purple-haired kunoichi tried one of the berries presented to her.

Naruto seemed to have smelled the the treat from his spot on the blanket, carrying Tadao on his back piggyback-style to the bench. "Oh, Hoshi-ba-chan, can I have one too?" He begged, ridiculous puppy-eyes and all. Now doubly amused, Hoshimi allowed him to pick one of the sweet pieces. Then the blonde turned to the nonplussed kunoichi sitting right next to the surprisingly comfortable civilian. "This is Aota Hoshimi-ba-chan and her nephew Tadao-kun, but she always calls him Tedi for short, and I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the future Hokage," he declared confidently.

Mitarashi-san snorted in bemused amusement, but she gave him a slightly painful-looking noogie nevertheless. "You sure are ambitious, gaki."

And with that, their makeshift family grudgingly gained a new member. Only, Anko didn't know that quite yet.

~*~

On the other hand, the revelation that Aota-san actually liked taking care of the 'Demon Child' isolated her further from the rest of the village. By extension, this included Tadao too. Shops mysteriously closed early when she went shopping. Street vendors tried to raise their prices well beyond ridiculous and right into astronomically. Restaurants were suddenly completely reserved whenever Hoshimi wanted, to avoid cooking herself, to treat her adopted godson for accomplishing something like mastering reading appropriately for his age-level.

Were it not for the creative renovation of their roof garden, Hoshimi would probably have had to go back to starving herself to feed all three of them two good meals a day. She could not find another job to raise her income either, due to her less than stellar reputation. Unfortunately, this meant the witch was forced to learn how to sew yukata, mend clothes, grow vegetables, potty-train her godson early, and really break out her brain not to fall into debt anywhere.

~*~

Naruto noticed the increasingly bad treatment, of course. He even suggested, heavyhearted, to act like they despised each other in public, so the villagers would not treat her and Tadao as badly as him. Hoshimi just rolled her eyes at the kid, whacked his head affectionately with a paper scroll, and told him simply: "People are stupid. They are like sheep, stupid followers of the rest. Show them that you are the bigger person by proving their bad words wrong. Remember, you are Uzumaki Naruto, Tadao's big brother, Sandaime-sama's grandson, and my little, annoying nephew. We love you, okay?-"

Her heartfelt speech was interrupted when the blonde boy tackled her to the ground, giving her a bear hug. To no one's surprise, the emotional kid was crying happy tears at her declaration. "Okay," Naruto whispered hoarsely in her ear.

Hoshimi just held him as he cried in her yukata, stroking his back in a motherly fashion. She knew in that moment, the small blonde loved them back just as fiercely. Tadao crawled over to his 'aunt' and 'brother', snuggling in between the two elder family-members.

"Is that why you are always so strong, ba-chan?" The blonde-haired child asked after a long pause.

In response, Hoshimi chuckled warmly. "Yes and no. I was treated like that before. People always change their minds if you stay yourself and prove them wrong. I not need wrong praise or a hundred friends that follow the rest of the sheep. Just you and Tadao and a few good friends. I always protect those with everything in my heart."

"What is a good friend?" Naruto asked curiously, discovering another side to his adopted sister.

Humming under her breath, Hoshimi considered her words carefully before replying. She sat up, tugging both of her boys against her side. "A good friend steals gold from dragons for you. A good friend kicks your butt when you are silly and cheers you up when you are sad. A good friend tells you when you are an idiot, but always listens to your words closely. A good friend always protects your back, no matter what. A good friend never leaves you behind, even if you are being really mean to them or someone else. A good friend keeps his door open, so you can slip into his bed at night, after a bad dream. A good friend carries you home when you can't walk yourself. A good friend gives you room to think, but keeps you from over-thinking. A good friend would always give his life for you, no questions asked. A good friend is a very rare treasure that you should never let go."

Naruto clearly considered her words carefully, tucking them away in a part of his brain, and hopefully heart, to remember later. Then he squeezed her gently, thanking her for answering his questions.

~*~

Later that night, Hoshimi woke to find herself face-to-face with the ANBU wearing the dog-mask. He gave her a deep bow, much to the civilian's sleepy befuddlement, and vanished back to wherever he had been guarding them from before.

When Hoshimi got ready in the morning, she found a small set of copper hair-ornaments sitting on her night-table. It consisted of two chopsticks (which were decorated with a cascade of small bells at the slightly thicker end) as well as a beautiful comb matching the sticks. The latter was painstakingly made to depict a stylized dragon. The young witch carefully traced over the comb, astonished by the expert craftsmanship the smith had displayed while creating this piece. It was a very beautiful ornament that reminded her of a similar set her mother had worn in one of the pictures of a Halloween party, found in an old photo-album she had unearthed in their half-destroyed cottage, a month after the war.

To the teen's surprise, the chopsticks doubled as small knives, perfect to defend herself with should she ever need to. With tears in her eyes, Hoshimi decided to always wear these hair-ornaments from now on. The civilian briefly wondered where he had gotten those pieces from, but decided to just appreciate his gift. Everyone had their own secrets, after all.

"Thank you, Dog-San," she whispered out loud, hoping he would hear her heartfelt gratitude.

Apparently their little makeshift family should add another member to their slowly growing group of weirdos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!   
> W


	4. Miso (or: How Hoshimi made a new friend)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys play pranks. Naruto has entered the Academy. Hoshimi makes a new friend. And Anko happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Naruto or Harry Potter still do not belong to me.

~4~

Hoshimi nearly jumped a mile into the air as her bedroom window was suddenly opened in the middle of the night, spitting out a familiar purple-haired kunoichi. "Anko-san?" The groggy witch muttered sleepily, unable to compute the unexpected presence of the beige trench-coat-wearing woman with her current location. She completely forgot that she wasn't supposed to be able to speak at all, too tired to think.

"Hoshimi-chan! How have you been?" Anko greeted her acquaintance cheerfully, albeit with a slightly sadistic glee, easily dodging a pillow thrown reflexively at her by the sleep-deprived woman in question who was carefully sitting up on her futon.

"Wonderful. Tadao's teething," the exhausted witch muttered grumpily, sarcasm heavily lacing her hoarse voice.

The sadistic, rude, inconsiderate kunoichi grinned sharply, excitedly clapping her hands together. "So you can speak! Why haven't you before?"

Hoshimi warily opened one eye back up, staring at her - acquaintance. Then she sighed, realizing Anko would persist relentlessly in her questioning until she found out every last, dirty detail. In response, the tired young witch pulled her old night shirt off of her, having previously turned her back to the window, so none of their watchers would accidentally get flashed. Some of her nastiest scars, all acquired in that damnable dungeon of Malfoy Manor, crisscrossed over her shoulders, down to her slim hips.  
"We were fighting a civil war back home. I was tortured nearly to madness for information, along with two of my best friends, by the enemy, when I was seventeen. Technically, the woman who did this to me was Tadao's aunt once removed. She was a power-hungry, insane piece of inhumanity that only cared for her even more insane, power-hungry master whom had an unhealthy fixation on snakes, immortality and me," Hoshimi stated in a rather forcefully detached tone, trying to keep the horrible memories buried deeply in her mind. Where they would not disturb anyone. "I'm no kunoichi, Anko-san. I was just a little girl totally unprepared for what they did to me. It impaired my speech quite a bit and I had to relearn most of it. I'm still not as good with words as I was then."  
That said, Hoshimi slipped back into her shirt. "One day, the rest of those who fought for that fucker came to finish the job he had started when I was a little over a year old. They did something to me, but I don't know what. Everyone I loved then, bar Tedi, is gone now. The next time I woke up, I was someplace I had never seen before. Only weeks later, Jiraiya-sama found me and rescued Tadao-chan and me from a fate worse than death. Does that put your worries to rest?"

Anko just gaped speechlessly at her - acquaintance for a long moment, before nodding eventually. "Sorry 'bout that. I just had to make sure you weren't some spy or intruder."

Hoshimi just smiled understandingly. "It's alright, Anko-san. I hate traitors more than you can probably imagine."

The purple-haired kunoichi settled down next to her on the futon as if nothing was wrong with their current situation. "Hmm," she hummed thoughtfully. Then the purplette scrutinized her tentative friend slyly, obviously considering something important (to her, at least). "When was the last time you went on a date, Hoshimi-chan?"

In response, the raven-haired witch furrowed her brow, trying to remember when she had gone on an actual, official date. Had there been one, after the disastrous Triwizard Tournament? "When I was fifteen, I think. It was a complete disaster."

Anko gaped speechlessly at her, disbelief written all over her face. "You haven't gone out with anyone since you were fifteen? Are you telling me you're voluntarily raising two brats without ever having experienced the glorious, mind-blowing benefits of brat-making?"

However, Hoshimi didn't deny her incredulous accusation, despite blushing so deeply her hair might as well have turned red too. The incredibly mortified civilian just buried her burning head in her hands, desperately hoping her so-called friend would let the topic go. If there was any mercy in the woman at all, she would let sleeping dogs lie, Hoshimi prayed.

Apparently, she had no such luck. Judging by the sly expression on her face, Anko immediately began to plot the immediate demise of Hoshimi's virginity; the mean, probably practiced cackle was quite disconcerting to hear bursting from the kunoichi's lips. "You practically adopted two brats as your own and you're still a virgin! We have to change that, Hoshi-chan! Just you wait, Auntie Anko will take care of this for you," the purple-haired woman promised seriously, sending foreboding shivers down Hoshimi's spine.

"Please don't. I hate blind dates. And all the civilian men my age are either already married or deathly afraid of Naruto. Not to mention Tadao..." The eighteen-year-old protested immediately, uneasy with the mere idea of sleeping with some stranger. Besides, she didn't really know anyone, except a few nice exceptions to the highly-suspicious civilian population and Anko. Dog-san, Jiraiya-sama and the Sandaime didn't count because Hoshimi really didn't know them all that well, except from sight.

Unfortunately, Anko did not seem to have heard the younger girl's less-than-enthusiastic counterargument (read: plea). Instead, she just petted the ravenette's hair (mock-)soothingly. "What kinda guy do you like?" The kunoichi wondered thoughtfully, still sporting that strange smile.

In response, Hoshimi nervously tried to flatten the fringe over her scar, her go-to tic whenever she felt overwhelmed. Then she sighed, knowing instinctively that her friend wouldn't give up on this until she had tried to set her up a few times, at least. So the civilian surrendered to the inevitable, realizing she was fighting a losing battle. Besides, this way at least the guy her friend picked for a blind date wouldn't be a total disappointment, hopefully. "I don't care about looks. Someone that likes children, treats Naruto alright, and has an open mind," Hoshimi replied softly, ears still burning brightly with embarrassment. Tomorrow, the complete ANBU-Division would most likely know her sob story of a so-called childhood. "Someone safe..."

Anko nodded thoughtfully, probably already going through various colleagues in her mind. "Family-oriented, open-minded, single, and hot. Alright," she grinned roguishly, "that shouldn't be too hard." The T&I-kunoichi tapped her chin, then smirked as she reached a decision.

Naturally, Hoshimi wasn't quite as convinced of this summarized assessment as her ninja-friend. However, the longer the purple-haired kunoichi was looking around for her perfect match, the better for the witch. Or so she thought.

"Why don't you ditch the boys for one night and come drinking with me?" Anko suggested slyly, seemingly already trying to get her matchmaking going.

Unfortunately for her, the ravenette shook her head. "I only ever drink on May 2nd. Besides, who would babysit for Tadao - Naruto? I may love that boy like my own nephew, but he is not exactly quality babysitter-material," the witch countered smoothly, hoping Anko would accept her argument. "Also he's starting at the academy soon. I have to prepare a fresh Bento for him every morning, so he won't stuff himself full of only ramen all day, every day."

Anko exaggeratedly slumped over, groaning mock-seriously: "You're such a responsible, virgin teen mom! Seriously! I'm not sure what do with you...!"

It was Hoshimi's turn to groan. "I'm trying, okay? My uncle asked me to protect Tedi-chan, but I don't have the first clue how to raise babies. They were all killed only two months after Tadao's birth. So what if I'm anxious? I - I just want what's best for them, but I'm a broken shell of some girl who - I - I - don't want to mess up..." Surprised, she noticed that there were real tears running down her face.

Uncharacteristically, the purple-haired kunoichi awkwardly petted her back. "Don't worry, Hoshi-chan. You're a great mother-figure for the brats, I think. Especially with all the shit you get from the villagers for raising them together. The Hokage would have fired you on the spot if he thought you were a failure," Anko assured her clumsily, in an effort to calm the other woman down again.

Hoshimi hiccuped softly, wiping those annoying tears away. "I've just been thinking... What if the villagers were right? What if I was a terrible mother? What if I had done something, anything, different? Would I still have lost everyone I loved, except for Tedi-chan? Would I have found some other backwater village to settle down in with my nephew? Or would I be dead in some ditch by the road now? I can't forget those faces, Anko! Their dead eyes follow me everywhere." Instead of interrupting, the trench-coat-wearing kunoichi allowed her friend the time to order her thoughts.

It might have been the prolonged sleep-deprivation or the fear or the fact she was in the middle of a particularly unpleasant nightmare when Anko showed up, but suddenly Hoshimi was spilling her fears to the only other adult in this village she somewhat trusted with her innermost feelings, doubts, and thoughts. "The last fight between the two sides was fought in our only school. Within an hour or so, I watched over fifty kids die. Helplessly. My uncle and aunt, Tedi-chan's parents, were also there, to help protect us all. They had a little serious training which they extended to us, so we could defend ourselves from the worst of the attacks, at least until help arrived. My best friends and I, I mean. I only survived because I was hit right above the heart," here Hoshimi pulled her shirt down far enough to show her friend the beginnings of her second lightning bolt scar, "and they thought I was dead."

Anko stared darkly at her scar for a long moment, before hugging the younger girl. "Thank you for telling me, Hoshi-chan. I promise I will protect your secrets from getting spread around. You're a good, strong woman. Don't you dare doubt that! Or your parenting skills. There's no one else who could have found a way to do what you did. You are a badass bitch, for a civilian anyway. So just ignore those fuckers trying to tell you otherwise and kick the asses of those that think you're easy prey."

For a long moment, Hoshimi stayed perfectly still, in the same hunched position, head buried in her hands. Very slowly, she looked up and a small, heartrendingly beautiful smile lit up her entire face. "Thank you, Anko. You are a great friend. I really needed to hear that."

~*~

Hoshimi loved her two boys like nothing else in this world (or the next), but she dearly wished they had arrived in her life with a convenient off-switch sometimes. Naruto was a veritable bundle of energy at all times, seemingly powered by sunshine, fresh air, and ramen alone. He could bounce off of the walls of either of their apartments for twenty hours straight, only to feel vaguely tired afterward. She already felt exhausted just from watching him run around everywhere they went, even if it was the rather short trek up to the roof.

Surprisingly, Naruto liked gardening a lot. Hoshimi patiently showed him how to pot flowers, plant seeds for a variety of vegetables, how to stop certain insects from eating their food without killing them in the process (not a great idea if you lived near a clan in a symbiotic relationship with bugs) and what to look for to make sure a plant had everything necessary to grow. She also skillfully grew the herbs she had recognized from her old world on the kitchen window sill, so she would not have to pay the usually exorbitant prices her lovely neighbors demanded.

Thanks to her very limited Runes-knowledge, courtesy of Hermione Granger, and endless boredom, the witch had secured the entrance to the roof, so none of the more adventurous villagers would find and destroy their much needed supplemental veggies. The rune-chains were so small and thin, no normal civilian would have noticed them - even if they knew to look for something akin to them. Even some of the shinobi would have problems discovering them, especially because Hoshimi had added a small Muggle Repelling Charm around the area.

The same went for her hidey-hole where she kept all the few possessions she had retained from her old world and life, and what she treasured the most, like photos and pictures from and of the boys. Hoshimi had secured Tadao's crib against kidnappers and attackers, more carefully-drawn Runes hidden in the carved lines of the wood. The raven-haired witch wasn't quite sure yet what to do when he eventually outgrew the bed, but if all else failed, she would sleep on the floor like she had done often enough at the Dursley's.

Naruto also secretly liked to practice his writing and reading with her. He did not receive a lot of the exercises the other kids in the Academy got - apparently, his teachers nearly always sent him off or to the hallways with a flimsy excuse or another. Predictably, that eventually led to Naruto skipping school. A lot.

So Hoshimi made him bring his textbooks and notebooks to her flat and would then try to help him understand whatever the class was supposed to work on. She had ingrained into his hard head that not doing his homework and not paying attention was Not Good and would later potentially get him killed if he really became a shinobi. (Besides, wouldn't it be a great prank to play on everyone who thought him a talentless moron?)

Naruto had gulped thickly when she had stared at him with serious eyes and asked if this - becoming a shinobi and all it entailed - was really what he wanted. He determinedly nodded and resolutely told her he wanted to become Hokage. The strongest ninja of the whole village, to gain acknowledgment and respect from the villagers. He also wanted to learn to protect his 'ba-chan' and 'Tadao-kun' from harm.

With a small, proud smile, Hoshimi had ordered him to get to work then. At school, he might still be Dead Last and subtly sabotaged by the instructors, but she would not support him if he slacked off all the time. As a reward for his efforts, no matter his success rate, the young woman always cooked his favorite, ramen, at the end of the week if he fulfilled his small assignments to her satisfaction.

Tadao, in the meantime, began to explore the world on two shaky legs. Two weeks after he learned to walk, he nearly ran everywhere. Her 'nephew' loved to play with Naruto, always trying to copy the strange katas and tricks his 'big brother' showed to Auntie Hoshimi.

To compliment Naruto's physical excersises, the ravenette always threw soft anti-stress-balls at the blonde to help him practice dodging and keeping his balance if she had the time to spare. It improved his reaction-time and reflexes by quite a bit.

Hoshimi also taught both boys to hide properly if someone much stronger than them slipped by the increasingly complex traps Naruto had set up on their floor. She didn't want either of them to come to harm, at all.

Tadao learned to never take his hat or glasses off, after Hoshimi firmly told him that it was for his own protection. She knew someone would petition for her sole remaining link to her family and friends to be put into an orphanage, or something worse, and then brainwashed into becoming a ninja. Hoshimi wanted him to make that decision by himself, several years in the future. If she couldn't get 'never'.

For the most part, the odd trio was happy. The Hokage visited every so often, in irregular intervals, complimenting Hoshimi on her imaginative recipes. (They both knew those visits were tests to check if Naruto was still happy and healthy and checks to see if she was planning to steal him away yet.) Anko occasionally climbed through whichever window was available that day and munched on sugared fruits and Dango and shared the latest gossip while casually mentioning this ninja or that who she thought would make a good boyfriend for her friend.

Then, the Tokujo brought her best friend, a Yuuhi Kurenai, along for a visit.

~*~

Naruto and Tadao had begged off and were currently trying to play shogi (the board had been a gift to Hoshimi from Jiraiya) on the roof while Hoshimi herself was doing laundry with the rickety, old washboard and basin that had come with the apartment in her tiny kitchen. The clean clothes were then deposited in a basket and transported to the garden where they would dry within the day. (She had not been able to afford a washing-machine with her meager salary yet, and conjuring one would be noticed.) It was already a warm morning, leading to a very hot afternoon, no doubt.

Anko simply hurled through the window in the living room, dragging a reluctant, black-haired woman along. "Hoshi-chan! This is my best friend, Yuuhi Kurenai! Kurenai, this is my good friend, Aota Hoshimi," Anko exclaimed cheerfully, ignoring her stiffened kunoichi friend and the nearly naked (for her standards anyway) civilian who had one hand in the large basin and another was holding a large bar of soap.

Hoshimi simply sighed inwardly, knowing there was no arguing with Anko. She tried to hide the most gruesome of her scars from sight and bowed politely to the kunoichi next to her purple-haired friend. "Hello. Please excuse the mess, I am doing laundry at the moment. If you'll excuse me for a second, I'll get dressed properly."

"Don't worry about it, Hoshi-chan. We've seen much worse," Anko assured her bluntly. Then she grinned teasingly. "You're cute when you're embarrassed. Where are the little brats?"

"On the roof, either sparring or napping. Those boys... Would you like something to drink? I could make some tea if you'd like. We still have a few fruits and cookies," Hoshimi replied, slightly uneasily. She didn't like to be scrutinized in her barely clothed state, not even by her friend. Much less by a complete stranger. Sure, Hoshimi had heard of the red-eyed, black-haired kunoichi before, it was surprising what one could eavesdrop on at the market-place, but she had never met the woman before. Additionally, her eyes were very unsettling for someone who had fought against Voldemort in the past.

Anko waved her off, as if dismissing her concerns. "I brought Dango. What's up with the monster pile of dirty clothes though?"

"The boys accidentally triggered one of Naruto's traps last night and got paint all over themselves and my good clothes. They hid it from me until I found out this morning..." Hoshimi explained, slightly embarrassed, but with a 'what-can-you-do'-air.

Nodding, Anko seated herself comfortably on the traditional cushions, watching her shy friend work. "Brats, the both of them. What ever happened to adorable, innocent Tadao?" The purplette skillfully tugged Yuuhi-san down alongside her.

Hoshimi simply laughed in reply. "He was bound to be a bit of a prankster. His father, my father, my uncle and - They were all pranksters and brats until they grew up a bit."

In response, Anko shook her head in mock-commiseration. "I still don't get why you don't let me hook you up so you'll get laid every once in a while. I mean, you're still a virgin, raising two brats on her own." Kurenai blushed faintly, much to Hoshimi's surprise.

However, the civilian had gotten used to Anko's unapologetic, blunt ways and only sighed resignedly. "No, thank you. I think I'm still not ready for that at the moment. Thank you for offering though, Anko-chan."

The purple-haired woman laughed at her friend. "See, she's got to be an angel, 'Nai-chan. Hoshi-chan is probably the only one in the village that would starve herself to death to feed two boys she hasn't even brought into the world herself. Everyone else would have put them in the orphanage already." Kurenai-san inclined her head in tentative agreement, her unique eyes taking on a mildly respectful gleam.

Hoshimi sighed relieved when she was finally finished washing the paint out of the clothes. (Her covertly-applied magic had definitely helped to clean the dried orange color out of the differing fabrics.) "Come on, the roof garden is much nicer at this time of the day. Besides, the boys need you to look over their katas. I can't help them with that, so I'm not sure what they're doing is right."

~*~

The strange trio joined the boys on the roof, Hoshimi smiling at Tadao snoozing contently in Naruto's arms. He was such an innocent, cheerful child, one had to love him simply. Naruto smiled sheepishly at his oba-chan, but flinched slightly, reflexively, when he caught sight of Anko. Who wasted no time in hurling a cautiously aimed Senbon at him.

Hoshimi carefully spanned the sturdy lines for the clothes to dry on and left her adopted nephew to his slightly sadistic teacher's mercy. Surprisingly, Yuuhi-san wordlessly helped her hang the laundry out to dry properly.

"Tadao-chan is the younger boy, yes?" The quiet stranger asked softly, after a while of working alongside their host.

Hoshimi smiled proudly and nodded. In the background, they could hear Naruto complaining to Anko about something or other. "Yes, he's my nephew. He turned one a few months ago. Do you have children of your own?"

"No, I don't. I'm single and don't have any siblings either," the red-eyed woman explained thoughtfully.

The young witch settled on smiling politely, unsure what to say in response. "They are a bit of a handful sometimes."

Yuuhi-san laughed unexpectedly. "No doubt. I'm not sure I could have dealt with two small kids at your age."

"It's worth it though," Hoshimi told her with a small smile. "The way they look up to me when I make their favorite food or they learn something new and tell me all about it afterward... Even their little accidents are entertaining. And when they bring their first girlfriends over, I will have all those funny little stories to torture them with..."

Kurenai-san grinned. "You seem to have spent a lot of time around Anko. That would definitely be something she'd do."

Inwardly, the witch agreed amused, offering to get a pitcher of water with a bit of lemon. Everyone accepted, so she returned a moment later, having exchanged her bath-robe for an under-yukata. It was only a marginal improvement, but covered her scars much better.

The boys immediately downed their water hastily, going right back to practicing, trying to show off for Hoshimi. Anko always teased the witch horribly about that.

"You did good this week, especially this morning. What would you like to eat today? Perhaps some lovely Brussels sprouts?" The aforementioned ravenette teased playfully.

"No!" Both boys cried dramatically at the same time. "Please, Hoshi-ba-chan, may we have ramen for lunch?" Tadao managed to get out (Naruto had painstakingly taught him that sentence for weeks, to maximize the pleading effect on the witch.) without stumbling over his words. Too much.

She adopted an exaggerated thinking pose. "Hmm... Do you think we have all the ingredients," Hoshimi asked mischievously.

Both boys nodded vigorously. "We'll even eat vegetable-ramen," they promised solemnly. More like, Naruto promised and Tadao parroted him.

Losing her fight against laughter, the teen agreed. "Alright, you two rascals. But only if you clean up the toys after yourself. Agreed?"

"Agreed, Hoshi-ba-chan!" Naruto shouted happily, carrying Tadao off on his back.

Anko smirked. "You've got them trained well."

Hoshimi rolled her eyes and laughed. "They are both addicted to ramen. What can I say?" Then she straightened her posture, recalling that there was a guest present. "Would you two like to stay for lunch? It might be a tight fit around the table, but we would appreciate the company."

Kurenai-san appeared to be uncomfortable with the idea, but Anko agreed for both of the kunoichi regardless of her friend's feelings.

"Alright. Come, I picked fresh vegetables early this morning. Boys, wash your hands and face and be downstairs in half an hour! Or else there won't be any ramen." Horrified by the threat, both children promised to be good. At least for the time it took Hoshimi to get the ramen cooking.

~*~

From that day onwards, Anko and Kurenai visited whenever they were free for an hour or two and in the village. Occasionally, they would arrange for her to go out to the hot springs with them, leaving the boys in the capable protection of the ANBU, or bring take-out as a special treat for certain days.

"Alright, why are you so stubborn about this?" Anko asked the first time they invited Hoshimi along to the Onsen. "You've got nothing to be ashamed of."

The young witch blushed slightly at the compliment. "I - I told you, I don't like to show my scars..."

Anko sighed and Kurenai smiled warmly at her acquaintance? Friend? "Don't worry about it. No one will even look at them, I promise. They usually tend to leave us alone because we are kunoichi."

Hoshimi squirmed, but surrendered eventually. Packing a fresh yukata, the civilian slipped into her sandals and followed her friends to the Onsen. She was uncertain about leaving the boys with only the ANBU for company, but tried to tell herself it was only a bad case of separation anxiety and she would have to overcome it soon enough either way. Besides, Naruto had survived with solely ANBU watching him before.

On their way there, Anko cheerfully explained the overly-complicated procedure of entering the Onsen to the raven-haired civilian, occasionally interrupted by one of Kurenai's 'helpful' comments. Hoshimi self-consciously stripped out of her clothes, wrapping herself in a towel immediately afterward. Timidly, the teen followed the older women outside the locker room, to the mixed kunoichi-civilian pool.

As soon as she slipped into the wonderfully warm water, Hoshimi ceased to doubt her slightly impulsive decision to come along. She closed her eyes, simply enjoying the sensation for a long moment. Anko smirked knowingly at her, but didn't comment verbally, thankfully.

"So, do you like it?" Kurenai asked with a small teasing glint in her eyes.

Hoshimi smiled gratefully. "Yes, very much. Thanks for dragging me along. I haven't had the chance to relax like this in some time." The civilian slowly forgot about her self-consciousness and modesty, truly relaxing for the first time in years. She gently wrung out her long hair, winding it up in a messy bun, which she fixed blindly with her chopsticks and comb.

One of the other, much younger kunoichi gasped with a horrified expression on her face. At first, Hoshimi didn't realize what the deal was. Then she noticed that more and more people stared at the lightning bolt-scar on her chest and the hideous writing on her left arm. Shrinking into herself, the young woman hoped to evade all those looks. Anko and Kurenai glared the others into submission, distracting their miserable friend from those staring.

In that moment, Kurenai and Anko established themselves as Hoshimi's new best girl-friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for your wonderful support! I am still blown away by the response this fanfiction continues to receive!  
> Have a great day!  
> W


	5. Pork (or: How Hoshimi Spills A Secret)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoshimi goes shopping. Things happen. Kakashi ends up with a crying woman in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Don't own anything. No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Thank you guys for your lovely reviews!
> 
> Generally speaking, I hope this will clear up some points:  
> \- I hadn't planned on Sasuke being adopted by Hoshimi, but you guys should feel free to convince me. (;  
> \- Teddy will (probably) become a ninja.  
> \- Romance will play a relatively large part - it's one of the major catalysts to get certain characters motivated to change.  
> \- This whole thing will be written mostly from Hoshimi's POV.  
> \- There won't be anything from her original world following after her, except for what she had already on her when they were transported to the Elemental Countries.
> 
> Happy reading!  
> W

~5~

Over the years following Hoshimi's first day in Konoha, she gained new friends and loved ones. Tadao grew into an inquisitive, adventurous little boy that adored his aunt and older brother figure. Anko and Kurenai more and more filled the roles of the crazy and responsible aunties. Naruto became another son/nephew to Hoshimi. And although Anko tried her absolute best and set her up with many friends and acquaintances, Hoshimi was still just as single as the day they had met. Somehow, mysteriously, the dates would be canceled without explanation, or the guy got sent to the hospital (with increasingly ridiculous illnesses), or on a last-minute mission, or there was some crisis caused by the boys just before Hoshimi was about to leave. In a sense, it was amusing her.

The teen just took every day as it came, thinking she was very slowly working through her grief over losing everyone and everything she held dear once. Two years after she had met Anko, the kunoichi's blunt, unapologetic confidence had rubbed off somewhat on Hoshimi, enough so that the witch could walk through the streets with her head held high, in a yukata that exposed her scarred lower arms. Kurenai and Anko took it upon themselves to bolster that new-found confidence at every opportunity.

For her birthday, the two always bought her new fabrics for clothes (Hoshimi had become quite skilled in designing the civilian everyday-outfits she needed for the boys or herself) and the young witch always gifted them with something special she had handmade in turn. For example, Anko once received a new Chinese-style blouse with a painstakingly stitched snake motif along the buttons and neckline. (Hoshimi blushed horribly when Anko praised her work loudly enough to draw attention from several passersby.)

Jiraiya-sama checked in with them every so often, keeping an eye on all three of the youngest ones, especially the boys. He always tried to lecherously flirt with Hoshimi, albeit more in a joking manner. Kurenai once decked him for leering at Hoshimi in her presence. It was 'beauty in motion', according to Jiraiya.

Naruto developed nicely, despite the teachers' best efforts. Hoshimi shuddered when she considered how far behind Naruto would really be if she wouldn't force him to complete a chapter of the books each per week. He might not always remember everything, or expand too much energy on making an effort to begin with, the young boy was too much of a kinetic learner, and literally thrived in and on all things physical, to be some sort of scholar. (Hoshimi also taught him to be the better person, but that actually happened by accident and not because she purposely set out to do so.)  
She always told him that studying all the different subjects was like combining different ingredients to make different ramen dishes. By combining A and B, one arrived at Salt. By combining A and C, one cooked Miso, and so on. Strangely enough, this analogy seemed to have motivated the blonde boy even more than anything else. As a self-proclaimed "Ramen Connoisseur", he took preparing and cooking Ramen very seriously. Much to Hoshimi's amusement.

One day, Naruto's seventh birthday to be exact, Hoshimi noticed that someone had left the small blonde a small, unexpected present. Someone none of the usual suspects could be, because they would have said something. Or just handed him the present themselves when they came over to their apartment complex for his birthday party.  
It began with Naruto finding an absolutely ridiculous, adorable sleeping-hat with a walrus on the front on his pillow before going to bed that night. He had wanted one ever since Hoshimi told him a bedtime-story about her 'Grandpa' always wearing one to bed. A few months later, Tadao found an identical hat on his pillow late at night. Also for his birthday. Naturally, the then-toddler adored it because it was the same one his brother had and even wore it to breakfast if he could get away with it.  
Every so often, Hoshimi would find a pleasant little surprise somewhere in the flat. These could range from simple sweets, or food in general, to new bathing oils that smelled faintly of lavender, her favorite scent.

Naruto potted a shoot off of one of his favorite decorative plants as a thank-you gift for their mysterious benefactor. Tadao helped him in that endeavor and Hoshimi provided both the soil as well as the pot itself. The boys insisted on 'making it pretty' in Tadao's own words, so it wouldn't look so plain. In the end, Naruto dubbed it 'Mr. Ukki', which the boys also insisted on putting into their thank you-cards. Along with instructions on how to care for this particular plant, thankfully one that wouldn't require a lot of attention.

They left the plant in the living room area before bed. The next morning, the plant was gone, but a small vase filled with a beautiful bouquet of Hoshimi's favorite flowers stood in the same place.

~*~

That is not to say that life was always peaceful and fun. The first time Hoshimi actually realized that she would never see her loved ones again, that the war had never been over for her until That day, she had a breakdown. A spectacular one. In public.  
It started on a beautiful morning, on a May 2nd. Hoshimi had banished all thoughts of grief from her mind until she was alone at night. Therefore, nothing seemed out of the ordinary to most casual onlookers that morning. Naruto and Tadao both knew that this day held many bad connotations and memories for their Hoshimi-oba-chan, but she didn't speak about it much, except to say that it was the day she had lost her uncle and his wife, Tadao's parents. Naruto knew a little better than Tadao how much Hoshimi was really hurting, because he would certainly be if he'd ever lose her or Tadao or Old Man Hokage.

Either way, on this particular day, the witch took both boys along for some shopping to refill their fridges and haggle for some other things on the market. Apparently, new merchants had arrived in the village a few days ago and she might actually get to spend only the standard amount of money on the few necessities they couldn't make themselves. For once, the boys were behaving like little angels, so Hoshimi had no qualms about taking them along. (Even Naruto who was skipping school - again.)

After buying new bowls, plates, sturdy chopsticks, pots, and books, Hoshimi was approached by one of the men that had been interested in dating her before. He had always made his advances pretty obvious - and his behavior towards their little weird family also quite obnoxious by default. Especially when Hoshimi had made it abundantly clear that she was neither ready for a romantic relationship at this point in her "recovery", but also neither willing to try anything with someone that wanted her to get rid of both Tadao and Naruto - for him. This particular man was a career-Chūnin working in the Hokage Tower in some function or another. (Hoshimi didn't care enough to narrow it down further.)

Said shinobi leaned into her tense form, ignoring everything ever taught about respecting personal space, pushing both Tadao and Naruto out of the way with a none too gentle hip-check. "What do ya say, Beautiful? Changed ya mind yet?"

Hoshimi drew herself up, anger and annoyance coursing through her veins. She was straightening her spine even further, stiffly holding her ground. "Bakano-san, my nephews and I would like to continue on our way. If you'd kindly move to the side, please, then we'll be right out of your hair?" She subtly moved both boys behind her for additional protection. Over the years, her speech had become good enough to open her mouth in public.

Neither child made a noise, knowing from prior experience that the obtrusive man could - and would - become physical towards them if he thought he could get away with it.

"No deal, Beautiful. What do ya say to a date?"

"No, thank you. I'm flattered you are still interested in me, but unfortunately I still can not return the sentiment."

This time the shinobi leaned even closer into her personal space. "Are you sure? It could be the demon talking..."

Hoshimi glared openly at the man. "I am very sure."

"You really should stay away from him, Beautiful. It can't be good for you or the other brat."

She stiffened, deeply offended on behalf of Naruto - and her abilities to judge who was worthy of spending her time and love on. What the hell was this guy thinking? He could not actually believe that it was alright to order her around like a servant! Or a subservient, mindless underling that wasn't even allowed to question his orders. She had a working brain, thank you very much. And she would abide by her own judgment and decisions - and not his, anytime. This guy couldn't really expect her to obey him, could he? "He's just a boy. I don't know why three fourths of this village think him a demon. I don't care. Naruto is under my care and protection, just like Tadao-chan. And he will remain there. Until you can accept that, there will never be a chance for anything at all between us. Now please excuse us."

Bakano-san hissed, anger written all over his face. He had been publicly humiliated by an 'upstart civilian' and evidently wanted retribution for the slight against him. "You should really stay away from him. Who knows what he's capable of?" The shinobi gritted out angrily. Then he stalked off to wherever he had come from, thankfully.

Hoshimi was uncharacteristically dazed and confused for a moment or two, but then she composed herself, shoving the memories of Lucius Malfoy threateningly invading her personal space in Second Year out of her mind. Naruto, who knew that she would prefer to leave the premises over having to endure more staring by this point, gently guided Hoshimi back towards their apartment complex.

~*~

The small makeshift family walked wordlessly on the outskirts of the residential areas, near where the training grounds were, so as to avoid even more potential trouble. Suddenly, Hoshimi caught a glance of the Memorial Stone and she stopped dead in her tracks. The dazed expression returned to her eyes, followed slowly by trembling lips and the first tear-drops rolling down her blanched cheeks. She was beginning to shake and walked towards the stone as if her steps were guided by an invisible force pulling strings to make her move.  
By that point, Naruto and Tadao were both scared out of their minds. Their auntie had never behaved like this before. At least as far as they could remember. The last straw was Hoshimi falling to her knees, sobbing shamelessly. In public.

Naruto ordered Tadao to stay by her side, guarding her and their purchases. He himself would search for Anko-sensei, the only grown-up person he knew and somewhat trusted, and ask her for a solution. Tadao obeyed his big brother-figure, trying fruitlessly to calm his auntie down. All it did was having her clutch his little body close to her chest, as if she was afraid of him fading out of existence. Interspersed in her sobs, she was muttering gibberish, pleading for someone or something, judging by the tone of her voice.

Naruto couldn't stand the sight any longer. He pressed one of his better kunai into Tadao's hand for extra-protection and took off in a sprint. He gave himself over to his instincts, trying to sniff out where his target was at this moment. Something was not right with his beloved aunt-figure and he knew it. Following his nose and intuition, Naruto ran halfway across the whole village until he skittered to a hasty stop in front of the Dango shop Anko visited usually. She was sitting at a table by herself, vacuuming the last sweet dumplings from a skewer when Naruto arrived.

"Sadistic-sensei-sama! You have to come! Something is wrong with Hoshimi-ba-chan! She won't stop crying! Please, Sadistic-sensei-sama!" The blonde begged nervously. He really didn't want to lose his precious auntie.

Anko swallowed her treat and bolted over the table in one breath, leaving behind enough ryo to pay for her meal on the table she had been sitting at. "Where is she?"

"By the Memorial Stone. I left Tadao there with her. Hurry!" The purple-haired kunoichi snatched him up by the scruff of his jacket, swinging him on her back, before taking to the roofs. They were traveling much faster than Naruto could run.

When they arrived at the training ground that also held the Memorial Stone, they found an unusual tableau. A silver-haired, one-eyed shinobi was awkwardly patting Hoshimi's back while futilely attempting to calm her down. He wore a thunderous expression, although most of his face was hidden behind a mask or his headband.

"Kakashi?" Anko questioned, a bit taken aback by the unusual scene they had stumbled upon.

"She was under a Genjutsu," he explained, nearly growling audibly. Naruto shivered. This man set off all of his danger-ahead-alarms. "A powerful one too," the shinobi added gruffly.

Anko ruffled Naruto's hair. "You did good, brat. If Kakashi hadn't been there, I'd have freed her. Now, tell me everything you did today."

Naruto gulped nervously, but did as he was told. "We were shopping for things because of the merchants and Hoshimi-ba-chan said they might give us fair prices today. She was right. Just before we were leaving for home, that stupid Chūnin tried to get her to go out with him again. Hoshimi-ba-chan said no - three times or so. Then he told her I was dangerous to be around for her and Tadao-kun, and that she should stay far away from me. Hoshimi-ba-chan said that she didn't get why the village thought I was a demon and that she didn't care and -" Naruto's eyes welled up with tears, unbidden. He had never dreamed of someday actually belonging to someone. Of being publicly being claimed by someone as a loved one. And Hoshimi had done that and gone even a step further and claimed him as family. "And she said I was just as much her nephew as Tadao-kun and she wouldn't abandon us for the man. He left after that. She looked a bit pale and weird, but shook it off. Then she told us to go home. When we passed the Stone, she suddenly paled and began to cry. So I went to get you."

Anko ruffled his hair again. "You did good, brat. Do you know why she might be like this, even after the release of the Genjutsu?"

Naruto squirmed uneasily. He didn't want to betray his auntie's trust, but what if it helped them to get her back to normal? "Today is the day Tadao-kun's parents died," he admitted after a moment. "She never tells us more than that, but I think there is more. Last year, Tadao-kun said she was crying at night. And she always clutches her chest when she thinks we don't notice..."

At this, Anko paled under her tan and Naruto could hear a soft growl from the stranger. Only he didn't smell foreign. In fact, this man's scent was the same that had lingered in the air the morning after their mysterious visitor had taken Mr. Ukki...

"Alright. I'll take you home," Anko decided. She glanced at Kakashi and he nodded, gently transferring Hoshimi to her arms. Then the man vanished into thin air, leaving only a small, dispersing cloud of smoke behind. It made both Tadao and Naruto sneeze. Anko placed Hoshimi on her back, carrying her piggy back-style.

~*~

The next thing Hoshimi became aware of after having one continuous flashback after another, was lying on her futon, two small forms cuddled close to her body. Both of her boys were sleeping, cuddled as close to her as possible without lying on top of her. Wiping away the last straggling tears, the young witch slowly, carefully sat up. A calloused hand helped her to balance herself, so that she wouldn't fall over due to the unexpected rush of blood suddenly flowing downward. Hoshimi sighed inwardly when she saw Anko's face hovering over her. In the periphery of her vision, the witch saw an oddly familiar stranger guarding the door, while the Hokage was signing papers on her low, secondhand living-room table.

"Wha- what happened?" Hoshimi asked, wondering when her throat had become so raw she had difficulties speaking. (Again.)

Anko hissed angrily: "Someone put you under a powerful Genjutsu that made you relive all of your worst memories. It's a miracle you ever made it to the Memorial Stone before collapsing."

Hoshimi sighed, rubbing her face tiredly. "I thought it was just the date..."

The purplette sent her a glare, showing Hoshimi without words how worried her friend had been. "Why would you think that?"

The witch gave a rueful smile-grimace. "I always have flashbacks on this day. It's the anniversary of the Final Battle," she told them reluctantly, never doubting that all adults could hear every word she said clear as day, even though she was whispering because of her sore throat. Also, she didn't want to wake her boys. "Tadao's parents were killed, as were over fifty others, most of them innocent kids. Three weeks before that, my friends and I were captured by the Dark side and tortured for information we didn't have. Thanks to a very loyal companion of mine, we could escape quickly. It cost him his life."

The Hokage looked up from whatever he was working on for the first time since Hoshimi regained self-awareness. "What information could you have had that would be interesting for the opposition?"

Another self-deprecating smile crossed over Hoshimi's face. It was time to tell the whole truth, it appeared. (Although she wasn't sure whether the Hokage didn't already know much more than she had ever only implied.) Flickering her fingers in the wand-movements for the strongest privacy wards she could pull off wandlessly, Hoshimi wondered where to begin her long over-due explanation. "Technically, the civil war my - village was wrapped up in had begun about ten years before I was even born. Actually, about forty years before even that. A man, whose chosen name was later made into a Taboo, thought he should kill all those he deemed unworthy of our - gift and all those that sided against him. Our society was tiered, from those with only ancestors that had the same talent for centuries, to those with mixed heritage, and then everyone else. Clans were the reigning class, above even our government, at least in their own opinion.  
"We were hunted for our gift for centuries and burned at the stake or otherwise executed publicly. Therefore it was decided to hide ourselves from the outside world. I am still bound by those laws and oaths. Even now, although I am physically very much removed from the governing bodies. No one breaks the laws lightly or easily. It rarely ends well for those involved."

Anko sat back, torn between wanting to listen to more of this outlandish story and horror at the idea of having to live your whole life on the run, even as a civilian, with a death-threat hanging above one's head. Hoshimi sighed tiredly.

"This of course sowed mistrust between those born in our society and the descendants of disowned clan-members - usually because they did not inherit the traits desired - that returned many decades later to learn how to control their gift. The - talent is too unstable to train until a child's eleventh birthday..."

Even the Hokage seemed surprised by this information. His outward expression had somehow remained exactly the same, yet Hoshimi thought he was strangely sympathetic to the idea of the way of her people's life. Perhaps she had judged him a bit too harshly too early on in their still rather short acquaintance.

"Due to the separation of the two societies, a different culture developed within the enclaves. Children born in such an environment were raised differently from children who were born to descendants of those disowned clan-members. They often lost track of which clan exactly they descended from, their blood too diluted to trace confidently by any outward examination. Unless they also inherited the clan-specific talent, our Kekkei Genkais," Hoshimi continued, forcefully swallowing all the other words she'd want to say in regards to that. Wizarding culture was very different from the way Muggles lived. "Teddy was born to a member of a cadet-branch of my godfather's clan. His maternal grandmother was disowned for marrying a commoner and his mother was the first one to activate the Black Kekkei Genkai in a long line of ancestors at that. The Black Clan was one of if not the most influential clan within the community at the time, powerful, feared, and not necessarily particularly tolerant of its rebellious members. My godfather Sirius was disowned by his mother for daring to disagree with her political views and had to flee lest she kill him herself. Nevertheless, he remained the oldest male heir in his generation of the entire clan, so he became Lord Black regardless of the informal disownment."

Her audience remained remarkably silent. Hoshimi sighed inwardly as her thoughts turned to her adopted father for a moment, while sipping at her water absentmindedly. "He adopted me with a secret clan technique which made him my third parent, genetically speaking, and thus his heiress. My godfather could not have children after he was imprisoned for over twelve years in hell on earth, for a crime he had not even committed. Tadao and I are the last generation of the Black clan. If I die, Tadao will inherit everything, yet nothing at all.  
"However, my birth-father was also heir of a respected clan in his own right, although a smaller, less prestigious one. He married my mother, despite her supposed inferiority in status. She was a formidable fighter, so was Father, and they proved it by escaping the Dark Lord three times with their lives intact - despite the fact that going up against him was usually considered certain death. Just for a better understanding, Riddle was in his forties and fifties and they had barely completed their basic education aged eighteen. My father was training to become a mix between hunter-nin and police-officer, as I understand it, but my mother was our equivalent to a budding medic-nin.  
"By the time I was born, the civil war seemed to be lost to the light side; the Dark Lord was gaining more and more followers and sympathizers - if only out of fear of his potential retribution should one choose to disobey a wish of his.  
"About a year and a half or so later, my parents were betrayed by one they had literally entrusted with their lives. The day we used to traditionally celebrate to banish malicious spirits, Riddle came to kill me. Thanks to a prophecy which foretold that I would become his downfall, so he thought it best to nip any potential danger I would pose in later years in the bud. My father died first, attempting to buy my mother time to flee with me. However, the (bloody) traitor had made sure their emergency exits were all closed to them, so it was futile. My mother barricaded herself with me in the nursery, sacrificing herself selflessly and thus gifting me with the strongest protection known to my people."

Hoshimi closed her eyes as her mother's death flashed vividly in front of her mental eyes. It was not a pleasant memory. "I was placed with my mother's sister who was so afraid of our talent, she and her husband believed it right to degrade and even kill all those who did not fit their very narrow-minded ideal of a 'normal', lawful citizen."

Here, Hoshimi swallowed her tears and anxiety, forcing herself to continue her narration anyway. "I grew up with no knowledge of my heritage, nor of the society my parents had lived in. Until I turned eleven years old. Then, I was thrust headfirst into a life of undeserved fame and danger, ruled by the expectations of a people I had never heard of outside of stories in books. If I had been born a boy, certain things might have been easier.  
"When I began my education in the ways of our "gift", I became best friends with two other children, Mia and Ron. They stood by me during hellish years and selflessly supported me despite the often unpleasant consequences for themselves. We were only half-grown, inexperienced civilians, but we were expected to lead the underground movement against the Dark Lord. We founded our own club to rebel against the oppressive government, which had chosen to become a third party in the conflict, rather than join with those fighting for freedom. At first, anyway.  
"Two years later, the Dark Lord had come out of hiding for the most part and declared war on those rebels. They also took over the government in one night; the workers had become too corrupt and incompetent to stop that long-planned move. My friends and I were hunted relentlessly, while continuing to lead our fraction of rebels from afar and trying to fulfill the last mission the late leader of the other underground group had given to us. It was a nearly-impossible quest to destroy the Dark Lord - for good, this time."

Those words were followed by a heavy silence. Hoshimi could practically feel the disbelief heavy in the air.

Anko finally said something: "That's why you were tortured? Because you were the leader of a group of mutinous rebels fighting against a terrorist with 'an unhealthy obsession with immortality, snakes', and yourself?"

At the purple-haired kunoichi's words, the Hokage and the silver-haired stranger seemed to twitch - without using any of their facial muscles.

Hoshimi nodded tiredly. "Yeah. We had to infiltrate our own school to meet up with our fraction of rebels who had decided to stay and protest against the new authority and their rather repulsive 'disciplinary' measures. "Our presence was discovered by the Dark Lord thanks to a traitor and consequently the Last Battle broke out. We fought through the night of May 1st and May 2nd, until dawn arrived. Only parents, a few teachers, school-children, and us - against an army of experienced, vicious, ruthless killers, headed by the most despicable of them all.  
"Teddy's parents were killed on May 1st. We also lost several of my friends, most of whom had been in that rebellious movement, and various people I had known almost half of my life. Good, courageous people that weren't content with sticking their head into the sand and let the status quo continue as it will.  
"Around midnight or so, we were given an ultimatum. Either I would come to the Dark Lord, or be delivered to him, or he would slaughter the rest of us. By then, Mia and Ron had destroyed another item tying the coward to life. We were only missing one other item, after which he could be ended for once and all. We just needed time we didn't have.  
"So I went. To him. He hadn't joined the fight yet, choosing to hide behind his minions. After years of countless assassination attempts, of abducting me, and killing those close and precious to myself, we ended up face to face in a clearing in the middle of the forest that night," Hoshimi swallowed with difficulty, remembering her parents's shades speaking to her on the way there. She had closed her eyes, as if warding of the memories of the horror they had seen what seemed like a lifetime ago. "I pretended to be dead, leading the bastard to believe he had actually managed to kill me. He ordered his minions back to the school, matching in triumph, with my 'body' in plain sight. Neville, my second-in-command and designated successor, destroyed the remaining item, rallying the other survivors behind himself for a last assault.  
"My friend Ron's mother killed the despicable woman who had tortured us in a fit of rage after she lost one of her other sons to the other side. I dueled the Dark Lord," Hoshimi's hoarse voice trailed off, too lost in her memories to notice her guests' reaction to her story. "Thanks to sheer dumb luck and circumstances beyond my control, I won."


	6. Chili (or: How Hoshimi Fights Angry DEs)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashbacks are a thing, this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I don't own anything you recognize.
> 
> Hi!
> 
> So, I realize that the last chapter was particularly long, especially Harry/Hoshimi's portion of dialogue. I just detailed what could have probably been summarized in a few sentences, but this way you actually know exactly what she told them. Note: it's long, detailed, but she doesn't give away everything. There are a lot of parts she has kept to herself.
> 
> Please also note that when reading something, especially a fictional work, you always have to question the trustworthiness of the narrator. There is a difference between author and narrator. (Check with your Literature teacher, it is one of the first things we learned in my German classes. At college/uni in my Lit classes, this is a huge deal. No matter what language you speak/learn.)  
> In this fic's case, it is mostly written from a Third Person Perspective from Hoshimi's POV. That means every single thing written in these chapters has to be interpreted with the understanding that all thoughts, feelings, ideas, etc. are seen from her personal point of view. So, when I write about sabotage in the Academy, particularly Naruto's education, then you have to realize that as a civilian, especially one educated in an entirely different environment and society, Hoshimi has different expectations and a different understanding of what a competent teacher should be. Also, she is biased in regards to Naruto, having seen and experienced his general treatment by the villagers, and thinks this overlaps with the treatment he receives from his teachers. Does Naruto tell her about every single prank or every single time he ditched classes or goofed off? Would you, as a child in his position? No. Of course not.  
> Does every single teacher have a lily-white vest in regards to their treatment of the Demon Brat? No, likely not.  
> Sadly, competence in teachers varies, everywhere. If you want an example, compare Binns and MacGonnagall. Does anyone, except for Hermione, ever pay attention in History? Probably not, unless they are particularly ambitious Ravenclaws. Now, in Transfiguration, no one really goofs off, but pays attention to what the Professor is telling them for the most part.
> 
> As for our friend Bakano, well that will come up later. Try to be patient, please. Right now, I am working on showing how Harry and Teddy arrived in the Elemental Countries a bit more, so...
> 
> Approximate ages of Hoshimi and others:  
> Hoshimi: 18 at the beginning of the fic, around 20 now  
> Kakashi: 19 at the beginning of the fic, around 21, 22 now  
> Naruto: 5 at the beginning, now around 7  
> Teddy: around 6 months at the time of the attack, about 2 1/2 years now
> 
> No, this story is not all about fluff and romance, but I tried to subtly introduce underlining plot. Keep your eyes peeled and you may notice the little differences beginning to show themselves. They will change a few major things later on. (Although, I haven't really planned on anything concrete yet...)
> 
> Alright, happy to have cleared this up!
> 
> Have a good evening,  
> W

~6~

These entirely unexpected, nearly unbelievable revelations caused everyone to stare incredulously at her. Sighing inwardly, heavy with resignation, Hoshimi braced herself for their inevitable reactions. Their staggering disbelief, their undoubtedly heated accusations, their cold demands of proof. However, Hoshimi held up a hand pleadingly, stopping them from verbalizing their thoughts on her sob-story just yet.  
She needed to get this off her chest - all of it. In one go. Like ripping off a particularly troublesome band-aid. She needed to finish her story. Otherwise, the witch probably wouldn't ever get to the finish line. (She knew herself well enough to freely admit this character flaw, at least in the privacy of her mind. Feelings and emotions - they are not something she ever relished to verbalize, no matter if it's to strangers or people she holds close to her heart.)

Sometime before Hoshimi regained awareness of her surroundings and herself, Anko had had organized a glass of water which sat neatly on the ground next to the futon, in ready reach of the exhausted witch. Hoshimi can feel their sharp gazes boring into her skin, seemingly digging beneath her epidermis to reach her innermost core. Her mind. No matter the (varying) previous degree of amity between them respectively, all three shinobi won't allow her out of their sight. They're not stupid or stupidly trusting, despite it having been years since their acquaintance had been established.

Hoshimi was aware that she was balancing on a tightrope, a very thin, wildly swinging thread of rope that might yet throw her off, possibly to her death. From here on out, they won't ever look at her the same way again; she also knew this. Perhaps Anko would cease to trust her; their friendship coming to an abrupt end. It was a risk Hoshimi would have to take.

Besides, she was a Gryffindor and they were supposed to be stupidly reckless and since when have obstacles ever truly hindered her from reaching a goal? Not even death stopped her from finally finishing what others had started long before her birth; before her birth had even been a possibility. The raven-haired tween suspected, she might be more closely acquainted with the silver-haired male than she realized at that moment - he was just too familiar in the way he was seemingly nonchalantly leaning against that wall - but for the life of her, the witch couldn't remember where she might have met him before. All the same, Hoshimi noticed that the irremovable weight on her shoulders, the one that's been practically smothering her by pressing down on her for years, even before she's stepped foot on Fire Country soil, had lightened a bit while she started confessing her past.  
The truth behind her actions, her scars, her reactions. At least, as far as she was willing to confess and felt required to spill. If for nothing else, taking the weight, throwing it off her shoulders, one piece at a time, simply by talking it out, well - it made the whole ordeal worth it.

Hoshimi realized right then, in the middle of a rendition of her unpleasant past, that she had been simply deluding herself into thinking that she was getting over the many, many deaths of her family, her friends, and never having the chance to ever see them again. Never.  
It was a hard pill to swallow; especially because she had thought - had desperately wished - to never end up bitter and jaded and trapped in her memories like Sirius, like Snape, and so many others she had known. It was her main goal after the Final Battle: to move on. To live without fear of the rumor-mongers and hits on her reputation for doing something she actually believed in.

Despite it only being three months since Voldemort's downfall, Hoshimi had had plans; things she wanted to do, things she wanted to change; a future. A future she would never get to see; a future she would never be able to share with her brother and sister who had voluntarily gone through so much horror and pain to remain at her side, to protect her back and front. And if there had been any other way, Hoshimi was almost certain Hermione and Ron would have bundled her up in fluffy blankets and the stuff you use to protect fragile things when sending them somewhere with a package and would have hidden her away somewhere no one would think to look. And they would have sat on her, no matter the consequences, to keep her safe.

So the raven-haired witch was deeply disappointed with herself. She had given her best, but clearly it has not been enough. Well, Hermione also repeatedly told her there was always room for improvement. But she was going off track now.

"All those years ago, Jiraiya-sama didn't exactly decide to help us out of the kindness hidden in the deepest corners of his heart or soul," she whispered hoarsely, throat still raw and painful. A wry grin appeared on her face as she thought back to their first meeting. "I - was not careful enough to avoid detection. In fact, had it been anyone else, I would very likely be dead, my body lying in some ditch somewhere. But I slipped, so he knew there was something - special about us."

The Hokage remained completely passive, no change in expression. Anko leaned forward just a tiny bit, while the strangely familiar silver-haired man still guarding the door sharpened his penetrating gaze even further. Hoshimi concentrated hard on the length of her hair, allowing it to grow passed her shoulders, down nearly to her hips, for a really noticeable change. Anko gasped silently enough - had Hoshimi not been a veteran warrior witch, she would not have caught the soft sound.

"I carry only a mild version of what could be considered our clan's bloodline limit. However Tadao-kun has received the full brunt of it. My blood is still too close to the main line, his was diluted by his grandfather and father," the witch explained drily. Then she gently took off his ever-present hat, exposing hair which cycled through all the colors of the rainbow in his peaceful sleep. This time she could almost feel the growing calculation and dawning realization in the room. It was nearly fit to be cut with her new kitchen knife. "That is just something extraordinary our clan was known for. We use our body's energy in a different way. No chakra, but mostly spiritual energy. We call it magic."

The Hokage was boring holes into her head without showing any particular change in expression. If this had been any other situation, Hoshimi might have actually been impressed by the old man's prowess.

"What can you do with this - talent?" Anko wondered curiously.

The witch smiled slightly. Magic was wonderful. Her Metamorphmagus-talent was tiny, at best, because Magic - unlike chakra - required one to believe oneself capable of producing or replicating whatever one wished to achieve and then practicing it. Hoshimi had not believed herself a carrier of the Black gift, so her ability had shrunk significantly with each passing year she hadn't made use of it. Sirius had once told her that she could do small things, very small things, as a baby thanks to her paternal grandmother who had been a born Black, an aunt to an aunt of her late godfather.

"As long as you can imagine it, there are almost no limits to what magic can achieve. I can't bring back the dead, or make real, nutritious food out of nothing. I can't turn average metal into gold or make someone truly immortal. There are laws of course, to limit the misuse of magic. Of all curses, there are three which were deemed Unforgivables: Avada Kedavra, Imperio, and Crucio. I've been hit with all three of them and they're not fun. The Dark Lord was so feared because he could and did use all three, liberally. Your nuke-nin Orochimaru comes close to what he was like, from what I heard around the marketplace. Riddle was fascinated by snakes, obsessed with immortality, and had absolutely no scruple. He killed without second thoughts, even his own father.  
"He had discovered a dangerous, immoral technique which bound the soul to the living plane, even if the body was destroyed. Of course no one knew that important tidbit for a very long time. He believed in a prophecy made about a child born to parents who had fought him and escaped with their life intact for three times. This child was supposed to be born at the end of July, a girl. The prophecy continued by stating that the child would be marked as his equal. 'Neither can live while the other survives.'"

Hoshimi took a deep breath, brushing her hair aside, revealing her famous lightning bolt scar. Then she went on, loosely describing the war and direct skirmishes between the two sides in more detail. She spilled her regrets, her guilt, her fear, and anger at the previous generations.  
How did it come down to a handful of teens trying to save their way of life, their world, while the adults had their heads firmly stuck in the sand? How could they have expected an inexperienced, untrained child to save them?  
Therefore, it truly was a confession for Hoshimi.

"Three months after the battle, I was watching Tadao-kun for his grandmother when we were attacked..."

~ Flashback ~

Andromeda kissed Teddy goodbye, smiling at the little baby boy. Harry grinned at her mentor and aunt-figure. They were each other's support when it came to braving the aftermath of the war.

"I will take good care of Teddy," Harry promised solemnly, stroking Teddy's cheek gently. He beamed toothlessly up at the teen in response.

Andromeda chuckled wetly, gently petting her niece's cheek in a motherly gesture. "Of course you will. I do trust you, Harry. There's a reason they named you godmother, after all. And you've more than proven yourself capable in combat." The older woman hugged her younger counterpart warmly, but less restricting than Mrs. Weasley ever managed to on her best days. "You will make a formidable, admirable Lady Black one day, Harry. I'm quite proud of your achievements in our little lessons."

Harry smiled, blushing modestly. "Thank you, Aunt Andromeda. I had a very good teacher."

The older woman laughed quietly, a wonderful sound so rarely heard these days, squeezing her hand reassuringly. Then Andromeda Tonks left reluctantly. "Take good care of the both of you," she quietly bid the raven-haired teen, before she softly closed the newly paired and varnished door of the small cottage behind herself.

Harry had moved into the small house, which she had inherited from Sirius, immediately after the end of the war. No one knew about its exact location, except the goblins, Andromeda, and Harry herself.

Mainly because Hermione and Ron were still out of the country, non-magically traveling through Australia and (nominally at least) searching for the Grangers, while also simultaneously exploring their newly-awakened relationship. Harry had, rather tactfully, stayed behind, in Britain. She didn't want to be the useless third wheel on that particular trip, although the raven-haired teen still sent the two other thirds of the Golden Trio some money for financial support, as well as monthly reports of what had happened on the other side of the world while they were off "gallivanting across the Busch", in Mrs. Weasley's words.

Admittedly, Andromeda had had accepted her - admittedly meager - help with Teddy only after Harry agreed to take the culture tutoring sessions the older witch had offered to the younger. It sufficiently distracted both females from their grief, for a few hours at least, and gave them something to focus on.

In the meantime, back in the present, Harry gently carried her godson to the beautiful, surprisingly large garden in the backyard, where she had already left a small, fluffy blanket for him to lie on. It was an exceptionally wonderful day, very sunny, and a cloudless sky stretched for miles over their heads. For lunch, Harry had planned on a small, healthy picnic for the two of them, followed by a nap and some playtime.

Teddy loved cuddling in the sun, so Harry indulged him as often as possible. She took great care not to get her new summer dress dirty - it had been a thoughtful present from Andromeda to her eighteenth birthday - and settled Teddy carefully into her lap. For a while, Harry proceeded to conjure colorful butterflies and bubbles for him, keeping his attention focused on them. Teddy always imitated his favorite colors, so his hair cycled through all kinds of - interesting combinations.

Just when she had decided to finally start on the food, the wards pinged. Sharply. Immediately turning alert, Harry quickly drew her wand, snatching Teddy with her free hand. She would defend her precious godson to her dying breath. A sharper attack was launched against the wards of the property, clearly attempting to break through them. Someone was really putting strength behind their attacks.

Harry tried to Apparate out, but there suddenly were emergency anti-Apparation and anti-Portkey wards encasing the property, hindering her escape. Harry knew she shouldn't barricade herself into the house. The Death Eaters could just curse all windows and doors closed and set it on fire. Most likely even with Fiendfyre. It was their standard procedure in such cases. So she would attempt to make her way to the nearby forest, on the off-chance she could save Teddy and herself.

"Be quiet, just like a mouse, Teddy bear," his godmother implored the baby silently. That's when the attackers managed to forcefully burst through the damaged wards. Harry had been planning to have them updated sometime next week, but that was obviously too late now. Who would have expected these remnants of Death Munchers to find out about one of the Black residences though? She had honestly thought she was safe here, in her godfather's secret abode, hidden in the country.

The first tell-tale green flash of light nearly hit her head, but Harry luckily ducked out of the way in the absolutely last moment. Instincts honed throughout the last three years of an guerrilla war were solely responsible for keeping her alive right then. She tightened her hold on Teddy, forcefully focusing on the present, and swallowed a litany of curses. This was quite clearly not the time to reminisce about the recent past. She swiftly side-stepped another Avada, angrily firing back a quick, relatively merciless Reducto at the one almost ending her life.

That day, Alexandrina Henrietta Potter decided not to take prisoners. They wouldn't return any courtesy she hypothetically showed them, which would inevitably lead to harm for her godson. So, no prisoners. Then she counted her opponents, while conjuring shield after shield and also dodging Killing Curses and other spells to the best of her abilities. Three Death Eaters in full regalia came from the front. Six were slowly edging around her, attempting to cut off the only remaining escape-exit. Harry needed to get out of range of the Anti-Portkey Wards, which meant fleeing her own property, to escape from this attack with the life of her godson - and her own - intact. The raven-haired witch speculated almost absentmindedly that two other Death Munchers were stationed a ways off, to warn the rest of those bastards in case she either received unexpected visitors or the Aurors arrived by lucky coincidence. However, the imminent arrival of the Red Robes was highly unlikely, so Harry didn't even dare dream of a viable chance of an alarm reaching The Ministry in time for whatever help they could offer to be of much use.

In the meantime, the unfair battle had continued regardless of the witch's inner observations. Harry desperately tried to avoid being overrun and outnumbered, flinging Reductos around like candy at a child's birthday party. Her new dress was already partially singed in several places from barely-missed curses, one of her hands, the one holding Teddy, was bleeding from an almost completely dodged Cutting Curse, and she had lost a portion of hair thanks to a small fire-whip.  
On the other hand, Harry had blasted off a chunk of one attacker's torso, leaving the guy with a massive, bleeding wound. If he wasn't treated soon, he'd be permanently out of commission. Dancing out of the way of yet another Avada Kedavra, Harry conjured birds to attack and distract her pursuers and ran as fast as possible to the boundaries of her property.

After sending a last look back, she finally managed to aim true and nailed one of the remaining bastards in the chest with another Reducto, killing him instantly. Predictably, the other Death Eaters weren't exactly happy about this turn of events, becoming even more aggressive. Harry ignored their angry, infuriated shouting and concentrated on getting away. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest; fear for her precious godson multiplying the already high concentration of adrenaline in her veins. She roughly yanked out the necklace with her emergency Portkey, which had been hidden under her dress's décolleté, having to use her only free, shaking hand to do so. It cost her dearly.  
A moment of distraction in battle was a moment of distraction too many. Harry felt the Cutting Curse graze her hips, digging deeply enough into her flesh to leave a scar despite Madam Pomfrey's best efforts; thankfully the Curse was too poorly aimed to result in anything but adding another scar to her collection. But she didn't feel the Reducto, until it was nearly too late. The blasting curse only hit her hand - was stopped by her wand and exploded prematurely, taking her wand with it, core and all, reduced to nothing but quickly vanishing ash. Fortunately, she could still feel all of her fingers and move her hand, but her wand... What was a witch without her wand, especially locked in mortal combat against a foe which vastly outnumbered and outgunned her?

"Shit, shit, shit," she cursed lowly, panicking inwardly, but figuratively slapping herself back into reality. This was also not the moment to get lost in her head. Then Harry tried to dodge another unimaginative Avada aimed at Teddy from one of the speedier pursuers and didn't catch sight of the ominous murky-blue spell in time to evade. It hit her necklace right where the Portkey was strung up and for a moment everything seemed to slow down to a complete standstill. Eyes widened impossibly, Harry clutched desperately at her godson, flicking her useless, bloodied fingers in the ingrained movements for her now broken (again!) wand and let loose the first spell her mind conjured; a Patronus. Then the murky-blue and light-blue of the activated Portkey mingled, mixing, the brightness of the two spells increasing until they reached blindingly white on a scale.

A tug on her core, a half-aborted scream from Teddy, a last painful twinge from another Cutting Curse, a startled yell from one of the Death Eaters, the pops of several Apparations, followed by an explosion of light.

Then there was blessed, ringing, hollow silence.

Nothing.

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, this is a plot that has been floating around my head for a while. Please be prepared for long breaks between new updates because I am working on my main story Petal (a HP/Avengers Crossover on Fanfiction.net) mostly and have not finished writing this one yet. Or the other one, for that matter. I hope you enjoy reading this fanfic anyway and remain patient with me.  
> Have a good day, W


End file.
